Wild Hearts
by xoxtinkerbellrainxox
Summary: Childhood friendships don't always last; sometimes they evolve into more…or less. Brian left home at 18 to escape his father's misery. Mia's a single mom with a shocking past. Dom gave up everything for the sake of his family. Letty's been around to lend a helping hand. And Vince-he's been ostracized. What happens when these friends find love, and heartache, in unexpected places?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello to all readers! This is my first attempt at a Fast and Furious fiction, so I really hope I can preserve the personality of the character's even though the plot is totally unrelated to the films. **_

_**"Wild Hearts" will mainly focus on Mia and Brian but other characters will make appearances and Dom and Letty's relationship will also get plenty of attention. **_

This was her third twelve-hour shift in the last four days but Mia Toretto refused to admit defeat. Even though she could barely manage to keep her eyes open and her legs were starting to feel like jelly, she knew she had to solider through the rest of the week. It was now Thursday and the freedom of Saturday was so close, she could almost taste it.

She took in the surroundings of the locker room and upon realization that it was indeed deserted, she quickly changed into her scrubs. Having been a student nurse for the last six months, she knew that the other nurses and doctors were comfortable being around naked bodies all the time but that confidence did not apply to her.

At twenty-four years of age, Mia still had a hard time looking at herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes had become a permanent fixture over the years but it was her stretch marks and the tiny amount of extra weight she carried on her stomach that made her most vulnerable.

Between college, her placement at the hospital, working at her family's restaurant and auto shop, and making dinner every night, she never had time to concentrate much on her appearance. She never felt as beautiful as people told her she was.

Quickly tying her hair into a messy bun, she was just about to put her bag away when she heard the sound of her ringtone. She had to empty its entire contents before she found the small device that her brother insisted she carry everywhere.

"Hello?" she answered, her heart immediately soaring upon hearing the reply of the one person who could always make her happy.

She listened on as he excitedly told her an animated story on the other end of the line and finished the brief conversation with an "I love you." Love and adoration was truly the only way she could describe how she felt about him.

XX

This was it. He was literally minutes away from making his dream a reality and Brian O'Conner could not be happier. He had the idea of opening a nightclub in New York City in the back of his mind ever since leaving behind Los Angeles over a decade ago but he had never imagined it would take so long.

He had practically run from the place he had called home the minute he turned eighteen, and now at twenty-eight he was finally beginning to believe that he was capable of doing anything his father deemed he couldn't.

It had been difficult at first. He had to say goodbye to childhood friends and spent more time than he'd like to remember living in his car. Eating three meals a day was a luxury at the time, and he had to work multiple odd jobs all at once just so he could escape the negativity that his family caused in his life.

He had some regrets for not keeping in touch with certain people, but for the most part, Brian never looked back. Being out of that house was a blessing and he had no intentions of ever visiting the man who put in more effort to insults than parenting.

XX

"Nurse Mia Toretto to room 234. Toretto to room 234."

Mia heard the blaring of the intercom just as she exited a cubicle in the emergency room and let out a yawn as she then walked to the elevator. It was now nearly 5am and her posture resembled more of a zombie than a young, capable nurse.

She made a mental note to take a bubble bath the second she got home and promised herself to never again take her free time for granted. The downside of working at one of the largest hospitals in Los Angeles was the amount of patients she had to treat in a night. It was almost impossible to have a good bedside manner when encountering people who complained of a common cold or who required stitches because of bar fights. Regardless, she tried her best to maintain her kind nature.

She entered the room that called for her assistance, and stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the patient in question.

"Mrs. O'Conner?" Mia said, the shock evident in her voice as she saw the familiar older woman. She then looked to the man standing by the bedside and frowned. "Is everything okay?"

The O'Conner family lived across the street from the Toretto's and although Mia's interactions with the couple were limited, she and Dom had once been good friends with their son Brian.

John O'Conner shook his head. "The cancer has spread. She was having a difficult time sleeping so I brought her here just to be safe."

"Of course," Mia nodded. "Let me take a look at her chart and see if the doctor can prescribe something." She turned to Grace. "I am so sorry Mrs. O'Conner. I can't imagine what you're going through."

Grace smiled appreciatively. She was proud of everything Mia had achieved despite the series of unfortunate events that had occurred in the girl's life. "That's okay dear. We only asked for you because we need to get in touch in Brian. Do you have any idea how to contact him?"

Mia was a bit taken aback by her request. Truthfully, she hadn't seen or heard from Brian in ten years. She had missed his presence when he initially left, but his place in her life left like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since the last time she looked into those majestic blue eyes.

"Mia?" John waves a hand in front of her, as if attempting to break her trance.

She shook off her thoughts and faced the couple once more. Her wish was that she was able to provide them with the information that they desired. "Unfortunately, I have no idea where Brian is and I know Dom, Letty, and Leon don't either."

Grace looked down at her hands, as if she was beginning to give up hope. John too stared at the ground until a thought came to mind. "Well, I know this is a lot to ask but what about Vince?"

And just like that, with the mention of a name, Mia's entire composure changed. She would rather walk on broken glass or be eaten alive by a dog before having to talk to brother's former best friend but she understood the direness of the situation and didn't have the heart to refuse the O'Conner's in their time of need. "I'll make a call."

She gave them one last look before walking out of the room before they saw a lone tear escape the corner of her eye. There was no way she could speak to the man who nearly ruined her life but she would ask Leon or Jesse to do it. After all, they were the only ones who stood on neutral territory.

XX

"Brian O'Conner, Tej Parker, and Roman Pearce," a man exclaimed as he reached out for handshakes. "How does it feel to be so close to obtaining the rights for this amazing venue?"

Rome laughed. "Better than you can ever imagine."

Brian nodded in his friend's direction. "Ditto."

"Well the realtor should be here any minute, so I hope I can have your patience for just a little longer…"

"Well we waited this long," Tej interrupted. "Don't sweat it."

The four men then began a conversation regarding music and the vision they had for this place when Brian's cellphone started ringing. He took it out of his pocket and frowned when he saw a Los Angeles area code on the call display. Aside from randomly running into Vince years ago while in Miami, Brian hadn't been in contact with anymore from home. He looked up from the phone and apologized. "Sorry, I have to take this."

They all nodded as he walked outside, the morning breeze instantly hitting his face. "Hello?"

"Don't hang up," was the first thing he heard from the person on the other end. It only took him a second to recognize the voice of his father. "I wouldn't be calling if this wasn't important."

Although Brian wanted nothing more than to smash the phone into the ground and forget anything ever happened, even he could sense that something was wrong. "You got thirty seconds to explain."

After a brief pause, he heard John's voice again. "Your mother has cancer and the doctors are not sure she can fight it this time. It would be nice if you could come home and spend the last days of her life not being such a selfish jackass."

And just like that, Brian's hopes and dreams for the future were once again crushed by the words of his father.

_**Thank you so much for taking the time to read the first chapter. I know it seems like a slow build, but I promise that plenty of surprises await. I will try to have the next chapter up sometime tomorrow. Please let me know what you think :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here is Chapter 2! It gives quite a bit of backstory, but more will definitely be revealed in upcoming chapters. I hope you like it and thanks so much for reading! **_

There hadn't been time to finish closing the deal with the club. As soon as Brian heard the words "mother" and "cancer" he had jumped on the subway and immediately went to his apartment to pack some essential items. He may have despised his father, but that same hatred did not carry over to Grace.

Now after having caught the earliest flight to Los Angeles, he stood paralyzed in his old neighborhood, unable to bring himself to enter his parent's house. He knew they were at the hospital and he didn't have to worry about an altercation just yet, but being back reminded him of why he left in the first place.

The lawn was exceptionally green and the garden by the porch inhabited unexplainable beauty. The exterior of the house was the epitome of perfection, but the family dynamic that lived inside the walls was anything but. He hated that they continued to pretend, even all these years later.

Sighing, he sat down on the steps and took a look around. He had no idea whether the same residents still lived on the street, but he supposed it was just the same even if they didn't. This trip was going to be short and if he had it his way, he would be gone by the end of the night. There wouldn't be time to catch up with old friends.

He continued to be deep in thought until he saw something fly by from the corner of his eye. The immediate smashing of glass that followed caught his attention. "What the hell?" he hissed, turning from side to side to see what caused the disturbance. The two key elements he noticed were a mortified young boy with a baseball bat standing across the street and a broken window on the second story of his parent's house. It probably shouldn't have, but the situation made him chuckle. The brokenness of their relationship was finally being portrayed.

Brian then saw the boy run towards him, eyes filling with tears. "Mister…Mister….I…I'm sorry! I promise I didn't mean to. It was a…it was an accident."

He couldn't have been more than seven years old, and his innocent demeanor gained Brian's sympathy. "Its okay kid," he said, giving him a gentle pat on the back. "Accidents happen. Don't worry about it." There was a brief silence until he spoke again. "What's your name?"

"Aiden," the child answered, giving no other information.

"Hi Aiden," the blonde smiled. "I'm Brian."

Aiden hesitantly nodded but then a new thought entered his mind, creating more fear. "Are you going to tell Mr. O'Conner?"

Brian frowned. If a random kid was scared of his father, it was obvious the old man hadn't changed much. "No," he calmly replied. "I promise I'll fix it before he gets home. Just do me one favour okay?"

"Anything!"

He looked at the boy and laughed. "Don't ever stop playing baseball. You have a strong arm."

XX

It was now Saturday, but Mia should have known better than to expect an entire day off. The problem with trying to create a career outside families businesses was that it proved to be double the work. Even on the weekends, she would be waitressing at the diner or filling out paperwork for auto shop.

Signing, she quickly restocked the shelves and wiped down the counters. There really wasn't need for her to be in such a rush as _Toretto's Market & Café_ hadn't been able to bring in the same crowd since the death of her father.

She hated thinking that the place would have to be shut down if it continued to not bring in a profit. So many good memories took place in this diner and along with the auto shop, it was her father's legacy. After all the mistakes she made in recent years, she desperately wanted to do right by him.

XX

"Aiden, lets go!" Dominic Toretto's booming voice called from the bottom of the stairs. "Letty's already in the car."

After hearing nothing but silence in return, the man let out an exasperated groan. "Come on buddy, you're killing me here! If you want breakfast, you better get moving!"

Just as he was about to charge upstairs to retrieve the boy, Aiden came walking through the front door. "Were you calling me?"

Dom raised an eyebrow. "Where were you?"

"Sitting on the porch," Aiden shrugged, conveniently leaving out the part about his earlier encounter with Brian. "I saw you and Letty kissing again and thought maybe you wanted some…some pri…piracy?"

"Privacy." Dom let out a laugh. "Now stop being much a smart aleck. No one's supposed to know about that."

"Okay," Aiden agreed. "But, can you help me tie my shoe?"

Dom nodded, "Of course I can." He bent down to assist the boy and pondered how Aiden's existence had changed all of their lives. He was born two years after his and Mia's father died and although one would think a child's presence could help ease the pain of parent's absence, the situation initially caused everyone a lot of pain. Innocence was taken, friendships were ruined beyond repair, money was tight, and it took months before Dom was finally able to accept the reality and welcome the boy into his life with open arms.

Aiden had become everything to him. Along with Mia, they were the only biological family he had left and that was something he cherished. Dom didn't remember much about his mother aside from the fact that she abandoned the family when Mia was a mere toddler. Despite that Tony, their father, always tried to make up for her shortcomings, the siblings felt the void and Dom desperately hoped Aiden would never experience such loss. He made a promise to himself to always be there for the child, especially given the circumstances of his birth.

"You're all set," Dom said, looking up and staring into Aiden's big brown eyes. He had short black hair and an olive complexion. There was no doubt that he embodied everything about a Toretto from the inside and out.

"Thanks." The younger family member reached out his hand for a high five. As Dom went to open the front door, he tugged on the end of his shirt and pulled him back. "Not so fast. I have a question!"

Dom looked at him with curiosity. "This better be good. At this rate, the diner will be closed before we get there!"

"Do you love Letty?"

XX

Letty Ortiz sat on the passenger side of Dom's car, impatiently drumming her fingers against the window. After her and Dom's escapades from the night before, she was absolutely starving. In fact, she was almost always hungry but the excitement of a street race and the exhaustion of continuing to hide their relationship took an even greater toll on the 24-year-old mechanic.

Actually, relationship was too serious a word to describe the state between the two. They didn't date. They didn't make plans for the future. They were just two friends enjoying each other's company.

Having to spend every waking minute at the auto shop in order to prove herself to the guys, Letty didn't have time to date. Most of her nights consisted of Chinese takeout and car magazines and her days were spent at work with Leon, Jesse, and Dom. She hadn't meant to fall into the destructive pattern with Dom either. He was always just Mia's older brother and even as time progressed and he turned into her friend and eventual boss, Letty never thought of him as a potential hookup.

What started off as a onetime thing after a night of high emotion and far too many tequila shots had turned into a three month long affair. Neither one ever talked about it but somehow she constantly found herself making excuses to "visit" Dom in his office at the end of the day. Or he would pull her out from under the hood of a car when no one else was around and kiss her right there. He didn't mind the sweat and grease that came from a hard day at work and she wasn't fazed by the knowledge of him having other priorities in his life.

Letty loved Aiden too and she had grown up with Mia. She had witnessed her and Dom struggle to cope without a mother, provided support during their father's death, and wiped away Mia's tears when her friend found herself unraveling from all the heartache. It was also around this time that she became a confidant to Dom as he ranted about what a mess teenage Mia had made of her life and how he felt responsible.

She admired how he took care of his family, a family that she eventually felt apart of. It was this exact reason that she didn't want to put a label on what was happening between her and Dom. If it didn't exist, then it couldn't end. There was no way she could put them all through any more devastation and that's exactly what would happen if people found out and expectations were built.

XX

Instead of going to the hospital like he had planned, Brian found himself at the Toretto diner. He tried to justify his actions of procrastination by reasoning with himself that he did indeed need to eat and remembered Tony's tuna sandwiches were a simplistic delicacy.

He walked in and immediately took in the empty surroundings. This wasn't how he pictured the once overcrowded place to be. He recalled Saturdays being the busiest time for the patriarch of the Toretto family. Taking a seat by the counter, Brian was surprised by the lack of service.

Shrugging and figuring someone would be out shortly, he glanced around and memories of his younger years were instantly brought back to mind. He had spent a lot of time here with his old friends.

As he continued to look around, he noticed a worker in the far corner refilling the dish self. She had long black hair that reached past her mid-back and wore fitted jeans that clung flatteringly to her hips. He couldn't help but stare as she reached for a cup, the bottom of her short lifting up and exposing her tanned skin.

Then almost an instant later, she turned and noticed him sitting there. "Jesus," she whispered under her breath. She put a hand to her chest and exclaimed, "You almost gave me a heart attack."

Brian chuckled as she made her way over to him. "Sorry."

"That's okay. I didn't even notice you come in. I'm sorry I kept you waiting," she explained, switching the on the coffeemaker.

"No problem. I was enjoying the view," he retorted, only realizing after how the words may have sounded to her. He meant to refer to the décor of the diner.

Mia was taken aback by his revelation at first but recovered quickly. "So you're a perv?"

Again, Brian laughed for the second time at her behaviour. "I can be," he joked. "But how about we start again? I'm Brian, its nice to meet you." He offered his hand as a gesture, but he saw hers immediately fling upwards and cover her mouth, which was obviously experiencing shock.

"Brian!?" Mia challenged. "Brian O'Conner!?"

This time, it was Brian's turn to be surprised. "Yeah. Yeah that's right. Do we know each other?"

The brunette furrowed her brow and gave him a look of disbelief. "You come into my family's old, rundown, deserted restaurant and you have no idea who I am?" She paused and mocked sadness. "I'm almost upset that you don't remember all those years you and Dom spent teasing me in this place."

"Mia!" Realization finally dawned on the blonde. "Oh my god! I can't believe I didn't recognize you!"

She smiled and leaned over as he reached up to embrace her. "Its probably because I'm not a shrimp or a brace-face anymore."

"Right," he laughed, remembering how he would playfully annoy his friend's little sister. "Shit, I can't believe I just attempted to hit on you. Dom would murder me with his bare hands. Speaking of, how's he doing?"

"Good," Mia answered. "He'll be happy to see you, it's been a long time."

Brian looked down at the menu, in an awkward silence.

"We know why you left," Mia gently spoke. "And I know why you're back. I'm so sorry about your mom." Hesitantly, she placed her hand on one of his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

He met her eyes and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. "Thank you."

"So," she clapped her hands together in an attempt to shake off the negative tone their conversation had taken. "You still like tuna sandwiches right?"

Before he could answer, three voices echoed through the space and as the door opened Dom, Letty, and Aiden made their way in. Brian instantly recognized the boy he had met from across the street only an hour earlier. "Wow," he turned to Mia and said. "Dom and Letty are together with a kid? Things really have changed around here."

"Actually..." Mia too was interrupted as Aiden ran across the diner and jumped into her arms.

"Hi mama!" The overexcited boy kissed his mom on the cheek as Mia giggled and hugged him even tighter.

"I missed you my sweet boy," she said, becoming oblivious to the confused blue-eyed man who witnessed the interaction. "Were you a good boy for Uncle Dom this morning?"

"He's always perfect," Dom laughed. "Except when he can't mind his own business."

Aiden playfully glared at his uncle, who was the only father figure he had, and then looked at Letty. "They're just mad because I saw…"

"HEY!" Letty quickly cut him off just in time as she saw Brian sitting by the counter. "Where did this ghost come from? Brian O'Conner, is that you?"

Dom whipped his head to see what had gained Letty's attention, also grateful for the distraction from Aiden's almost confession. He had yet to tell Mia about him and Letty and the kid had found out by accident after discovering them making out in the garage a couple of weeks ago. "Well, well," he said, making his way over to his one-time best friend. "To what do we owe the honour?"

"Hey guys," Brian smiled, giving Letty a hug and fist-bumping Dom. "You know I can't resist Mr. Toretto's tuna sandwiches." He faced Mia once more and his smile instantly disappeared after seeing her glum expression. "What?"

Letty knew how sensitive Mia got when discussing her father and upon seeing Dom's distress, she stepped up. "Brian, Mr. Toretto died nine years."

"What?" Brian breathed, running one hand through his hair and placing the other on he counter for support. Tony had been so good to him and the sense of loss hit him hard. Turning from Mia and Dom, he noticed Aiden had run off to a table to play. "I don't even know how to apologize. I'm sorry for your loss and I'm sorry I wasn't here." They all remained silent, so Brian carried on. "I can't believe Vince didn't tell me. I saw him a few years ago."

Up until that moment, Dom had kept his cool but Vince's name made his blood boil. Without a word he stormed out of the diner and got into his car. Mia just turned away and walked to Aiden, hastily wiping away her tears.

Brian was left to look at Letty for answers. "What did I say?"

She sighed. "Do yourself a favour and never mention Vince's name. He's nothing but a deadbeat around here."

_**So what did you think? Do you want Letty and Dom to move past their FWB relationship? Were you shocked to learn Mia had a son? Who is the father? Did you like Mia and Brian's first interaction as adults? What caused Brian leave town all those years ago? Why does everyone hate Vince?**_

**_Please let me know if you loved/hated it and if you have any ideas, I am open to suggestions ! I love readings people's reviews :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**This chapter is mostly for Dotty fans with a side of Brian/Mia/Aiden. I hope you like it!**_

"Dom!" Letty shouted, running towards his car just as he was about to reverse from the parking lot. Once Brian left to go to the hospital, Letty made sure Mia and Aiden were okay before going to check up on the oldest Toretto. As much as he pretended to be a tough guy, she knew that he hurt deeply.

Dom hit the brakes and rolled down the window. "What is it Letty?"

In attempt to lighten the mood, she changed the subject from what she knew was consuming his thoughts. "You can't just leave a girl hanging after you promised her food. I'm dying here."

He grinned and nudged towards the passenger side, signaling that she should get in. Dom couldn't explain it, but when he was around Letty, he just knew that everything would be okay. She had a calming effect on him, which was ironic considering her tempermatic nature. He never expected for things to be the way they were between them but he supposed fate played a part in all the best surprises.

After working with her for the last few years and witnessing just how capable she was with both fixing and racing cars, his respect transformed to admiration. Then with the help of bottle of tequila on a bad night, he recognized it wasn't just admiration he felt; it was also desire.

Sure, the alcohol could be used to explain their first night together but it would be a copout. The very next day when he awoke with a splitting headache to the sound of her throwing up in a nearby garbage can, he still felt that desire. She wasn't just a fling for him and he didn't dread seeing her the morning after. He yearned to be closer to her all the time; even now as she absentmindedly sat right next to him and toyed with the radio.

He went to move her hand when she passed a station that he liked, and their skin came into contact. Instead of retracting, he laced her fingers with his own and brought them to rest by her thigh.

Letty looked down at their interwoven hands and then to Dom's face. She lifted herself up, as much as the seatbelt would allow, and placed kisses along the edge of his jaw. Feeling the warmth of her breath on his skin sent his mind into frenzy. He was a skilled driver but her actions proved to be too much of a distraction. He had other girls do far more to him as he focused his attention on the road but none of them ever made him feel the way Letty did. Just a simple kiss from her made him feel like he was on the brink of crashing. She was an unexplainable adrenaline.

XX

"Are you okay Mommy?" Aiden asked, seeing that his mother was visibly upset over what had happened.

Mia forced a smile. "I'm alright baby." She set down the toy racecar she had been gliding around the table and looked at her son with admiration. Despite all the obstacles she faced in life to get to this point, Aiden was the hardest and best thing she ever did. "Let me make you something to eat. How do chocolate chip pancakes sound?"

His face lit up. "Really? Its not even a special day!"

She nodded. "I think every day I get to spend with you is pretty special." Affectionately tousling his hair, she gave him a kiss on forehead and went to the kitchen portion once more. Upon seeing the forgotten coffee and plate, she was reminded of Brian and his return to town.

For brief a moment, they actually had a conversation that didn't revolve around her problems and it was obvious he had been attracted to her. She hadn't felt that way in years and sadly, she never expected to again.

Everyone from her younger years knew all about her downward spiral after her father's death and she desperately yearned to be freed from all that baggage. Mia had no idea what it was like to have a mother, so when the only parent she ever had suddenly wasn't there anymore, it was heart-wrenching. She had lost control of her emotions and everything she once cared so much for become irrelevant. She reasoned that there was no point in doing well in school if Tony wasn't there to see her graduate and she had no desire to get married if he couldn't be there to walk her down the isle. At the time she also tried to convince herself that she didn't need to pretend to be innocent and in addition to underage drinking, she let her guard down long enough for someone she trusted to take advantage of her. She dealt with the stigma of a teenage pregnancy at the age of seventeen and the memories of those months still had an effect on her body and soul.

However once Aiden was born, all of her reckless behaviour changed. Thanks to Dom and Letty, she was able to turn her life around and go to college and fulfill a dream of working in medicine. Although she was no longer aiming to be a doctor, being a nurse sure beat the hell out of knocking on the door of unemployment.

Outwardly, she tried to move on even if her inner emotions were a little slower at catching up.

XX

It was now or never, Brian tried to tell himself as he stood outside his mother's hospital room. He breathed in and out to prepare himself for an encounter he never planned on having again.

"Okay, here goes," he muttered, pushing open the door. He didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't the sight portrayed in front of him. All he saw were wires and machines attached to a woman in bed that vaguely resembled his once vibrant mother.

"Bri?" Grace called out, trying her best to sit up.

Brian rushed over to her and assisted her. "Let me help you Mom."

Grace managed a weak smile and touched his face. "I really missed you sweetheart."

"I missed you too," he said, sitting down beside the bed and taking in his surroundings once more. "More than I realized, to be honest."

"That makes me happy." Grace then focused her eyes on the TV on the wall and laughed randomly. "Do you remember how excited you use to get when I'd wake up early to watch Saturday cartoons with you?"

"Yeah," said Brian, turning his attention to the screen as well. "You would make this huge breakfast and we'd just sit in front of the TV for hours. The Flintstones was always our favourite."

"Those were good times," grinned Grace. "I think that was the only part of your childhood where I remembered you being truly happy around me."

"You were never the problem," Brian insisted. "Dad would just always find a way to ruin everything for us and I got tired of you letting him."

Grace turned off the TV and faced her son. After a decade apart, she took the time to truly notice all that had changed. His hair was a little longer than she remembered, he had a little more stubble, and he had grown even taller. One thing that hadn't changed were those beautiful blue eyes. "I don't want to fight Bri. I don't want to talk about your father and I especially don't want to talk about the cancer. I want to know about all the adventures you were brave enough to have these past few years. I just want to know who my son has become."

XX

"I like this place," Dom stated as he stared up at the ceiling in Letty's room. "Why haven't I been here before?

Lifting her head up from his shoulder, she responded to his inquiry with another question. "To my apartment or in my bed?"

He pondered for a moment before smiling and replying, "Both."

"You have been here. Don't you remember carrying all those boxes up four flights of stairs when I first moved in?" She sat up now, making sure to wrap a sheet securely around her bare frame. Despite having been with Dom countless times now, it felt too intimate to lay there too long after the deed was done.

"No, but I do remember carrying you up two flights of stairs just over an hour ago," he retorted, turning his attention from the ceiling to her face. "You are extremely out of shape."

Letty playfully shoved him, as if attempting to push him off the bed. "I am not! I just had no energy because someone keeps forgetting to feed me."

"Oh really?" he laughed, moving to his side and propping up his arm to rest his head. "I seem to remember you being all over me in the car. Something about wanting me more than two burgers and a chocolate covered sundae?"

She blushed, covering her face with her hands. "I know, I know. I have a large appetite. What's a girl to do?"

"I like that about you." Dom reached over and pulled her hands away. He rarely saw Letty embarrassed about anything so he wasn't going to let her hide. "So…" he said, kissing the inside of her right hand. "How about I go into your kitchen and cook up a feast and then we can continue to work off all those extra calories in bed?"

"Aside from the fact that there is no food in my house, I have to go to work soon," said Letty. She stood from the bed and was looking at the floor for her clothes before realizing they were practically undressed by the time they reached the living room.

He sat up. "Are you forgetting that I'm your boss and you are not scheduled to work today? You can't just run from me Letty."

She crossed her arms and took a step closer to him. "I'm not running. I genuinely enjoy…" The sound of a phone cut her off. "Hold that thought."

Dom watched as she left to follow the sound of the ringing and took the time to truly examine the place that was solely Letty's. Truthfully, he never interacted with her much outside of his house or at work. It never really occurred to him that she had another place to call home since she was such a prominent fixture in his.

The walls were painted a deep shade of red and the furniture was white. Multiple pictures were hung or placed everywhere; most were of cars but there were quite a few sentimental images too. Pictures of her family, Mia, drawings Aiden made for her, and he even spotted a few shots of him with the crew from the auto shop.

"Okay!" Letty announced as returned with a bowl in hand. She was now wearing a blue bathrobe and she threw the sheet towards him. "I found a way to make things interesting!"

He raised an eyebrow and was about to speak but Letty leaped on the bed and placed a finger against his mouth. "Let me finish Toretto!" Now straddling him, she waited for his attention. "Lets have a grape eating contest!"

"I'm probably going to lose if I try to refuse, so what are the terms?" he asked. Letty took a grape from the bowl and put it in front of his mouth. He opened, allowing her to feed him as she explained.

"We're going to stand on the opposite sides of the room and each of us has to throw five grapes, which we have to catch with our mouths. The one who catches the most wins."

Dom shrugged and offered Letty a grape. He then began playing with a section of her hair, twirling it around repeatedly. "Sounds simple. What does the winner gain?"

She swallowed the fruit before answering. "I don't know what you want, but I'm aiming for a five course meal AND the rights to your car for an entire week."

"You're really that confident?" Dom was intrigued as she slowly nodded and bit her lip. "Fine. If I win, you do the shop's paperwork for a month. Actually, if you just offered to do the paperwork anyway I would gladly buy you dinner every night."

Letty leaned in. "What's the fun in that?" She ate one more grape and then stuffed two in his mouth.

"You're going down," he said, attempting to stand with her weight still on his legs.

"Wait," she said and pushed him back. "First we need to work off all those extra grapes you just ate. We don't want you to be out of shape right? Then we may never reach my apartment in time."

Dom's laugh echoed through the room. He grabbed onto the belt of her robe and pulled her closer to him. "You are a wild one Leticia."

As he began to shower her neck with kisses, she whispered into his ear. "Don't ever call me that again Dominic."

XX

Mia had decided to close the diner a few hours early so she could spend the rest of her Saturday with her son. She knew Dom wouldn't mind, especially due to the lack of customers.

Together, the mother-son duo walked down their street hand-in-hand. The diner wasn't a far walk from the house and Mia avoided driving as much as she could. Ever since her father's accident she had been extra precautious, unlike Dom.

Aiden soon spotted Brian climbing a ladder outside the O'Conner house and ran ahead of his mother to say hello. "Hi Brian!"

"Aiden!" Mia called out as she picked up her pace to catch up with him. "You can't go running from me like that!"

The boy turned to his mother and apologized before bringing his attention back to Brian.

"How's my favourite baseball player doing?" Brian asked, climbing back down from the ladder after seeing Mia. He didn't like how things ended this morning and wanted to apologize.

"Am I missing something?" the woman asked as she looked between her son and former neighbour. "How do you know each other?"

"We met today," Aiden stated matter-of-factly. "He's awesome!"

Brian chuckled. The kid had charisma, that much was for sure.

"While I don't doubt that, how did you come to such a conclusion? You never said a word to him at the diner." Mia rested both hands on her hips and looked at her son.

"We ran into each other before that," Brian explained, filling in the blanks. He pointed with his thumb to the window of his parent's house. "There was a little incident…"

"Oh god," Mia sad. She had a horrified expression on her face as she stared at the shattered glass. "Aiden! How did you manage to do that again? Mr. O'Conner is probably going to sue me this time!"

"It was an accident," Aiden shuttered.

"I know sweetie, but I told you so many times not to play on the street. Mommy can't afford to keep replacing all these windows!" Mia ran a hand through her hair and began pacing back and forth. This was the third time Aiden had broke something of the O'Conner's and she was pretty sure John was all out of warnings and would soon follow through with his threats of legal action."

"Hey Mia," Brian reached out and touched her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to fix the window before my dad even realizes something happened. I already went and got the supplies."

She looked at the grass, where there was a hammer, new glass, and a few other items. "Brian, that's really nice of you but you shouldn't be taking this upon yourself. This is my responsibility."

Brian waved off her concern. "I remember a time when Tony saved my ass from the guy a few houses down after I drove into their mailbox. I'm pretty sure he'd appreciate me repaying the favour to his grandson."

Mia smiled appreciatively at the guy she once knew so well. "Thank you," she mouthed, her emotions getting the best of her.

"I told you he was awesome!" Aiden exclaimed, earning him a glare from Mia.

"You're still in big trouble mister. I want you to go to the garage and get me your baseball bat. You're grounded for a month," she finished, turning her attention back to Brian after she saw that Aiden had safely crossed the street and made his way to the house.

"I can't believe you're a mom," he said as he gave her an onceover. "It seems like just yesterday we use to play tag and have barbeques in your backyard."

Mia laughed. "Well we still have barbeques and Dom and Aiden still play tag, so I guess it's more or less the same."

"I'm sorry about earlier. I made things really awkward," Brian blurted out, unable to take the guilt any longer.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Brian. Everyone goes through things in life and I didn't expect you to know every single detail that happened when you were gone. It was actually refreshing that you didn't."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked her straight in the eyes. "Its clear you've been through hell and back Mia. I may not know the specifics, but I want you to know what I'm always rooting for you... and for Dom."

"I appreciate that," she said, the meaning of his words truly sinking in. "I'm rooting for you too Brian." She turned to walk away but the sound of his voice calling her name stopped her. "Yeah?"

"I'm probably going to be in town for a few more days and was thinking that maybe…maybe we could sit down and catch up or something?" His proposal seemed random but he found the words slipping out of his mouth before he could even comprehend what he was saying.

She walked a little more towards him and smiled sadly. "I would love to but most days my feet can barely catch up to my mind. There's too much going on."

He just nodded, seemingly accepting the rejection and turned to climb the ladder without noticing that she was glued to her spot.

"Hey Brian?" she called up, reconsidering her response. When he turned, she could see a slight smile begin to form. "How about you come over for dinner on Monday? I'll invite Leon and Letty too and we can all hang out like old times?"

"Sure," Brian agreed. "I'd love to."

The sound of a speeding engine soon caught their attention. Mia instantly recognized Dom's car but was surprised to see him sitting in the passenger seat.

"What's going on?" she wondered aloud as the vehicle came to stop right beside her. She peeked inside the window and saw Letty on the left side.

Letty laughed uncontrollably. "Guess who gets to drive this baby for the rest of the week?"

Dom looked between her and his sister and just sighed. The fact that he even agreed to the terms of the bet let him know that he was in way over his head.

**_What will happen at the dinner? Why is John O'Conner such a jerk? Where is Vince? All these questions will be answered in the next chapter. Thanks for readings and for those wonderful people who took the time to give me some feedback. It is much appreciated!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Here is the longest chapter so far! I hope you like it :)**_

Brian absentmindedly rubbed his thumb back and forth along his mother's hand as they both stared at the television screen. He had gone to the hospital every day since his arrival and found himself regretting his absence more and more. He should have been there for her more and tried harder to put aside his problems with his father. As their only child, Brian could only imagine the loneliness Grace must have felt as she battled cancer. He only hoped that she would pull through and win the war once and for all.

"Okay Mrs. O'Conner, its time for lunch," a voice said, breaking the previously silent atmosphere.

Brian got out of his seat and adjusted the table that was attached to the bed. It was only when he looked up that he saw Mia. Taken aback by her presence, he eagerly asked, "What are you doing here?"

Grace glanced at her son and then at Mia, who was wearing light pink scrubs and white trainers. "What does it look like? She's my nurse!"

"Oh." He nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I didn't realize you worked here too. How are you?"

Mia placed the food in front of Grace and smiled at the older woman's disgusted expression. Then, she addressed Brian. "I'm good! I'm a student nurse here when I'm not trying to run the diner or raise that crazy son of mine. This was my last task of the day."

"Now I know why you're always so busy," he noted.

The creaking of the door caused them to all turn their head in the other direction.

"Miss Toretto," John observed as he walked into his wife's room. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" There was sarcasm in his voice and Brian noticed. His blood boiled as he then saw his father eye her down in his disapproving manner.

"Um," she started, obviously caught off guard by his tone. Mr. O'Conner was never particularly friendly towards her but he always managed to be civil when others were around. "I just came to drop off Ms. O'Conner's lunch."

He raised a brow. "Well, then I highly doubt this hospital is paying you to stand around and flirt with my son."

"Uh…uh I wasn't…" Mia had an exasperated look on her face. She was at a loss for words but luckily Brian spoke up.

"Dad, what the hell is wrong with you?"

John turned to Brian and gave him a warning. "Shut it. I wasn't talking to you."

"John…" Grace began, although she did not seem shocked by his sudden outburst.

Brian moved forward and stood between Mia and his father. "Don't you ever speak to her like that."

"Or what?" John challenged. "She's nothing but a slut with a bastard son. I can talk to her however I damn well please."

Without an instant to prepare, John felt Brian's fist collide with the side of his face.

"BRIAN!" Mia and Grace shouted at the same time. Mia saw that the young blonde was going to attempt another hit so she immediately wrapped her arms around his chest and attempted to pull him back. "Stop! He's your father!"

As John struggled to get up from the floor, Brian breathed heavily. "He's a jerk."

"You just made a big mistake!" the older O'Conner screamed, pointing a finger straight at his son while using the other hand to nurse his jaw.

"You're damn right I did," Brian fired back, grabbing his jacket from the chair he previously sat in. "I made a huge mistake coming back here in the first place." With one last look at his parents, he turned to the nurse. "Lets get out of here."

XX

"So Ken doll is back in town?" Leon chuckled. He hadn't heard anything from Brian since he left and was excited to see his old friend once again.

"Better and blonder than ever," joked Letty as she adjusted the engine of an old mustang. A typical day at the garage often included many wisecracks amongst the gang but today the topic mostly revolved around Brian.

Dom's head instantly shot up from under the hood and he looked at his only female coworker. "What do you mean by better?" A hint of jealousy was evident in his voice.

Letty just shrugged. She knew she was getting under Dom's skin and she enjoyed every second of it. "He's hot."

"Excuse me? I wasn't aware that he was your type!"

Jesse observed the pair in amusement. Their regular banter had intensified over the last few months and he was aware of the change. Something was different, but he just couldn't figure out what it was.

"He's not my type." Nonchalantly, Letty then picked up another wrench and continued her work. "But I'm not blind man. A girl can appreciate his fine assets."

"Maybe this Brian will be the answer to all your prayers Letty," Jesse insinuated. As the rest of the crew worked on their individual cars, he played around on the computer so he could digitally create an ideal engine for their next race.

Leon chuckled, earning himself a glare from both Dom and Letty. However, that did not intimidate him from finishing Jesse's thought. "Yeah, maybe you'll finally get laid!"

Dom, who had been watching the encounter, felt his face burn. Quickly, he reached for his water bottle and chugged.

"That's it!" Letty screeched, taking the wrench in her hand and throwing it across the room. She was inwardly relieved when Leon ducked but charged in on him anyway. "What makes you so sure that I'm not capable of finding someone to have sex with me?"

Jesse's eyes widened and he leaned forward, knowing the next few minutes would be full of entertainment.

"It's been a year since you dumped that Dylan guy," Leon shrugged. "We haven't seen you with anyone since."

"Well, maybe because my sex life is none of your business!" she exclaimed, poking Leon in the chest. "Maybe I don't talk to you guys about it because you're all a bunch of sexist monkeys!" She turned to Jesse. "Next person to make a joke about me is going to wake up tomorrow morning with some missing body parts!"

Jesse gulped while Leon just rolled his eyes. "Women…"

Dom set down the water bottle and stared after Letty, who had stormed into the office and slammed the door shut. He knew she wasn't really mad but she was definitely riled up. Being around her when she was like that was so intense he had trouble controlling his desire. "Alright guys, pack it up for the day," he found himself saying. "Go home a little early and get ready for dinner tonight. Mia's really excited about it."

"Don't have to ask me twice," said Leon, cleaning the grease off his hands and then grabbing his car keys. "Come on Jess."

Dom wiped the sweat from his forehead and then quickly locked the doors after hearing their cars exit the parking lot. "You can come out now," he bellowed, making his way over to the office. When Letty didn't immediately open the door, he knocked.

After a minute, she came out in nothing but her underwear and a tank top. "So," she said, placing her hand against the frame and leaning in. "Apparently I need to get laid and Brian O'Conner is just the guy to help me out."

He took in the sight in front of him and licked his lips. "Why would you want blondie if I'm right here at your service?"

She tapped her fingers on her chin and pretended to think. "You make a good argument there, Toretto,"

He heard her yelp as he placed his hands on either side of her hips and swiftly lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him and reached to lift his shirt over his head. "So where would you like to do me this time, Ortiz?"

Letty looked around DT's and her eyes fell on Dom's prized possession. Without even saying a word, she felt herself being set down on the hood of the black car and Dom hovered over her.

"You better be gentle this time," she warned, gripping the back of his neck to bring him closer. "I don't want to dent MY car."

Dom narrowed his eyes. "YOUR car?"

"MY car," she confirmed, and pecked at Dom's lips. "At least for the rest of the week…"

XX

"You really shouldn't have gone off on your father like that," Mia said to Brian as they stood beside her car in the hospital parking lot. "I don't want to be the reason for any tension in your family."

"I would never let him, or anyone for that matter, talk bad about you Mia. Besides, there's been tension between us for years."

Mia smiled sadly. "I appreciate the backup."

"Any time," he smiled back. He couldn't explain it, but he found himself drawn to the woman in front of him. When he left town, she had been a kid and his best friend's little sister. However, as he looked at her now, it was obvious she had grown up.

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Mia intervened. "I got to get going. Aiden finishes school in half an hour and then I have to pick up grocery for tonight. You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it," Brian confirmed. He reached over and opened the driver's side door for Mia. "I guess I'll see you later."

Mia got in and then faced him. "Did you drive here?"

He shook his head. "No, I took cab."

"Well then, get in! I'll drive you home."

"No, don't worry about it," he said, gently shutting the door after making sure she was safely in. "I don't want to be a bother."

"You'd actually be doing me a favour. I may need some help carrying the food to the car." Mia titled her head to one side. "I thought you wanted to catch up? As long as you don't mind the addition of a seven-year-old, I would really love the company."

Brian smiled. "Well then, how can I refuse?"

XX

"Blondes or redheads?" Letty questioned aloud. She sat on a spinning chair and observed Dom as he searched for his discarded clothing.

"What?" he glanced up and saw her expectant gaze. Already fully dressed, it was obvious to him that she was letting her mind wander to random thoughts.

She picked up his muscle tee from the floor and threw it in his direction. "What's your type?"

He walked to her direction and slightly bent down so that their faces were parallel. "Is that a trick question?"

Letty pursed her to keep from smiling. "Come on Dom, we both know you've slept with half those bimbos who hang around the racing circuit. You must have a preference."

Dom pretended to contemplate what she said but he knew exactly what his type was. She was sitting right across from where he stood. "I don't like a woman who watches from the sidelines. I prefer someone who goes after what she wants and isn't afraid to get down and dirty."

"Good luck with that," Letty snorted. "Most girls these days are scared of the applying their own nail polish."

He laughed at that before leaning in grazing his tongue along her collarbone. "But not you?" Feeling her soften under his touch gave him immense satisfaction.

"I'm not scared of anything," she groaned. But in truth, she was terrified. She was letting Dom in more than she knew was safe.

XX

Aiden ran to his mother's car as soon as the school bell rang. It was rare that she was able to pick him up but he understood that she had to work a lot to give him a good life. She was a mom, a nurse, a waitress, and sometimes even a mechanic. It made the boy proud.

"Hi baby!" Mia grinned as the seven-year-old opened the back door. "How was your day?"

"Good. How was your day Momma?" It wasn't until after he spoke that he noticed Brian. "Brian!"

Brian twisted his body so he could high-five Aiden. "Hey buddy. How's it going?"

"Awesome! I had six home runs at recess today. Everyone wants me on their team tomorrow!"

"That's great," Brian remarked. As Mia drove to the local supermarket, the two continued to talk about sports and although she would interject every so often, she was pleased that they seemed to get along so well. Aiden often had a hard time opening up to others.

"So Momma, what's for dinner?" Aiden pondered aloud as Mia held his hand to cross the street and Brian grabbed a cart. "I'm already starving!"

Brian chuckled and Mia playfully rolled her eyes at her dramatic son. "Brian's the guest. He gets to decide."

"Me?" Brian pointed to himself. "I'm not picky. I'm fine with whatever."

Mia just smiled and walked over to the produce section where she began selecting a variety of vegetables. She figured it would be best to get the rest of the weeks grocery too so she wouldn't have to make another trip.

Aiden tugged on the blondes arm and looked at his mom before whispering to him, "My mom makes the best spaghetti."

Brian stopped the cart. "Is that right?"

"Uh huh," Aiden nodded. "Everything she makes is really good! Except for her tuna sandwiches!"

"What's wrong with her tuna sandwiches?"

"Trust me, its disgusting" continued Aiden.

"Excuse me?" Mia startled them. "Are you to gossiping about me?"

Brian gave her a knowing look, causing her to grin. "So, I think we've decided on spaghetti."

"Of course," she laughed, taking the cart from Brian's grip and walking to another aisle. She briefly turned around to giggle at the man once more. "You better be careful O'Conner. Pretty soon my son is going to have you wrapped around his finger."

Brian just looked down at Aiden, who was smiling up at him. "Your mom is so silly."

XX

"Yo my amigos," Leon shouted out when he arrived at the Toretto residence. "The life of the party is here!"

"Really?" Letty said with a straight face as she looked around the family room. "Where?"

"Uh…here!" Leon answered, pointing to himself.

"You're not fun," Aiden stated. "Aunt Letty is fun!" This earned him a high five from the female mechanic.

"Watch it boy," Leon teasingly warned. "Or I'll convince Mia to send you to boarding school."

"That won't happen," Letty said, staring at the young boy adoringly. "I'd kick Leon's butt before he tried to pull that."

Aiden cheekily grinned. "I have a lot of people who love me Uncle Leon. More than the zero people who love you!"

Leon lifted him above his head and twirled him around. "You're supposed to be my friend kiddo."

XX

"So the table is set and I took the garbage out," Dom said, peeking over his sister's shoulder to see what she was cooking on the stove. "Spaghetti?"

Mia nodded to confirm. "It was your nephew's idea."

"That kid is persistent, isn't he?" Dom laughed, remembering how Aiden had been begging for the dish for over a week.

"Yup," Mia smiled, adding a bit of spice into the sauce. "He's a lot like his uncle."

"Lucky kid," Dom remarked before placing her a kiss on the side of her head. "Speaking of kids, have you seen Jesse?"

"He called and said he'd be a bit late," she replied. She turned around to face her brother and raised one eyebrow. "He also mentioned that you let him and Leon go home early today. What's up with that?"

Dom just shrugged. "It was a light load. I thought I'd give them a break."

"And that uncharacteristic thoughtfulness didn't carry over to Letty?"

He began to fidget with some nearby utensils. "What are you talking about?"

She motioned for him to sit down. "I drove past the shop on my way to pick up Aiden from school and I saw her car outside. I didn't see yours, so I assumed you left but I thought it was interesting that she was still there. Aren't you the only one with keys?"

"Yeah," he lamely replied. "But you're forgetting that Letty and I switched cars this week. She was long gone and I stayed back to work on some paperwork."

"Really?" Mia challenged, a slight mischievous grin forming in knowing that her brother wasn't telling her the truth. "Then its funny that neither of you answered your phones but still managed to arrive here at the exact same time."

Dom narrowed his eyes. "Drop it Mia."

She crossed her arms. "I know you Dom and I know Letty. You wouldn't give her your car just because you lost a bet. There's got to be something else."

If Mia actually knew what was going on with her brother and her best friend, Dom knew she wouldn't be pleased.

XX

"So Brian, what happened to you after you went all ghost town on us? No calls, no visits, what's up with that?" Leon quizzed. They were all hanging out in the family room as Mia put the finishing touches on dinner.

"I don't know," Brian shrugged. "Truthfully, I just tried to convince myself that I was better off never coming back."

"Because of them?" Jesse pointed to his friends. He hadn't met Brian until tonight but he had heard his name mentioned a couple of times throughout the years.

"No," Brian instantly shook his head. "These guys are great! My father, on the other hand, is a different story. I think he was put on this earth to make people miserable."

"Amen to that," Dom saluted, raising his beer in the air. He had never been a fan of John O'Conner and as the years grew on, his annoyance turned to hatred for the way he treated his family.

"So what did you do when you left LA?" Leon continued with his questions, eager for answers to how his friend had held up.

"I lived in Miami for a bit before finally settling in New York. I worked some odd jobs and met a couple of good friends. We were actually in the process of opening a nightclub when I got called back home."

Dom looked down. "We're sorry to hear about your mom. My prayers are with her."

"Thanks man," Brian appreciatively said.

Mia walked into the room with a beer in hand and Aiden on her trail. "The bread is just in the oven. It should be ready in a few."

"Well sit down girl," Letty ordered. "You work too hard."

Mia obliged and watched in curiosity as her friends haggled the new presence in her home.

"So are you married? Or in a relationship?" It was Letty's turn to ask. She sat next to Dom and he casually rested his arm around her shoulders. They had been friends for so long that nobody questioned it.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jesse cut off Brian's rely. Even after getting a death stare from the brunette, he didn't stop. "Did you know Letty wants to bang you?"

"WHAT!?" Brian exclaimed, obviously bewildered by the comment. Mia had chocked on her drink and Leon quickly covered Aiden's ears, knowing Letty's wrath would be disastrous.

"That's enough Jesse," Dom warned, moving to pat his sister's back repeatedly so she would stop coughing from the shock. He wasn't as mad as he was jealous.

Just as Letty was about to move in on the teenager, the timer for the stove went off.  
"Saved by the bell! Lets eat!'

XX

"So now that I know Letty secretly wants to do unmentionable things to me, I think its only fair that the rest of your share your relationship status," Brian joked, attempting to break the awkward tension that had been carried over to the dining room.

"Don't flatter yourself O'Conner," Letty mused. "No offence, but I'm not really into the whole Barbie fantasy thing."

"Then why haven't you and Dom got together? He's about as opposite to me as you can get."

Dom and Letty exchanged glances while Mia answered for them. "Dom and Letty fight like cats and dogs. Its amazing that they've managed to be friends." Letty held Dom's eye contact as naively Mia spoke about the two. "Besides, I've never met such commitment-phobic people in my life."

Leon snickered. "I think we're all guilty of being allergic to the "C" word Mia. Why settle down when there are so many possibilities out there. Right Brian?"

"Wrong." His refusal surprised them all. "Once you find the right person, I can't imagine anything better than being with them forever."

Jesse slurped a string of spaghetti. "So you found the Juliet to your Romeo?"

Brian looked down at his plate. "I thought I did."

"What happened?" Dom's interested had peaked. He wasn't usually so curious about other people's personal lives but the whole point of the dinner was to catch up and he wanted to make an effort.

"Oh, the usual," Brian remarked. "The second I gave her a ring, she transformed into someone I didn't like or recognize. I mean I put up with a lot of things but there were some deal breakers. I had to call off the wedding."

"Was she psycho?" Leon wondered.

"No," Brian shook his head. "She was fine but she refused to give me the one thing I wanted."

"Which was?" Mia has remained silent up until that point, but finding out Brian had been engaged was unpredicted.

"Kids," he answered, looking the young mom right in the eyes. "A family…. stability. All the things I never knew I wanted until I left home."

XX

"Can you read me this one?" Aiden begged after picking a book off his overcrowded self. He had taken after Mia in that regard; he loved books and he loved learning.

"Sure," Letty agreed and gently grasped the young boy around the waist so she could put on his pajamas before he ran off again. "Lift your arms up."

Aiden obliged and hugged his aunt tightly. With her parents now living in a different country, Letty considered the Toretto's her family.

"I like when you tuck me. Its fun," the kid complimented, pulling the covers down and getting in. Letty tried her best to snuggle in beside him despite the tiny amount of space the bed allowed. She had offered to take on the responsibility of his bedtime ritual not only because she loved spending time with him, but also because she thought Mia needed a break. She couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of stress her best friend was under and deserved to spend the rest of the night with her friends.

"I love you kid," Letty kissed the top of his head before opening the book. "You want to read 'Cars' again?"

"Its my favourite!" Aiden revealed.

Just as she was about to begin, Dom quietly entered the room. "Are you taking it easy on Aunt Letty?"

The boy smirked. "What are you doing here?"

He ruffled Aiden's hair and sat down on the already crowded bed. His arm crossed over Letty's sprawled out legs. "Leon and Jesse left and your mom wanted me to make sure you weren't driving Letty crazy." He looked at the woman in question and smiled.

"I would never!"

"Yeah!" Letty giggled. "Aiden here is a perfect gentleman. He's nothing like his uncle."

Dom retaliated by pinching one of her toes, earning himself a kick in the side. She would never admit it, but his muscles probably hurt Letty more than her action affected him.

"Are you going to read me a story or are you going to keep making googly eyes?"

"Googly eyes?" Letty gagged. "The only person your uncle makes googly eyes at is himself…in the mirror."

"Jealous?" Dom laughed.

"You two are totally going to get married," Aiden declared, no thought given to how awkward him statement made Dom and Letty feel.

"Why would you say that Aiden?" Letty questioned. "Me and Dom are not even together."

"Yes you are," he affirmed. "I always see you kissing!"

"Buddy," Dom started, moving closer to his nephew, which in turn brought him closer to Letty. "Letty and I are just friends."

"Friends don't kiss each other," Aiden protested.

"Yes they do," Letty persuaded. She put her hand on the boy's head and affectionately ran her fingers through his hair. "Sometimes a kiss is the only way you can express to someone how happy you are or how much you appreciate them. Not all kisses mean that you're in love."

Aiden's mouth formed an 'O' shape. "So you don't love each other?"

"Of course we do," Dom defended. "I love Letty a lot because we've been friends our whole lives. We've been friends before you were even born!"

"Wow, that is a long time," Aiden acknowledged.

"It is," Letty agreed. "But our love doesn't mean we want to marry each other. Does that make sense?"

"I guess. But am I still suppose to keep your kisses a secret?"

"Most definitely," she replied. "No one else needs to know."

"Alright," Dom suggested, taking the book away from Letty and turning to his nephew. "I'll read you this book and you'll stop making inappropriate jokes about me and your aunt. Got it?"

Aiden could only smile in response.

XX

"Need some help in here?" Brian asked, poking his head into the kitchen and seeing Mia slave away at the sink.

She turned to acknowledge him. "No thanks. The guest doesn't get stuck with dish duty."

He ignored her refusal and grabbed a towel. "Neither should the cook."

"That would be an all too perfect world," she sighed. They worked in a comfortable silence for a few moments before she spoke up again. "Would you like some wine?"

Brian set down the last plate in the cabinet and turned to face her. This was the first time that night he was truly able to take in her appearance. She was wearing a light pink dress, similar to the colour of her scrubs earlier in the day, which fell past her knees. There was hardly an ounce of makeup on her skin but she absolutely glowed. "Sure," he finally answered.

"Okay," she awkwardly took the towel from him to dry her hands and reached into another cupboard. "I hope reds okay."

"Yeah, like I told you, I'm not picky," he chuckled. He sat down and watched as she opened the bottle and poured the beverage into to glasses.

"I don't get to do this often," she admitted. "Its kind of nice."

"What is?"

"Just being able to relax," she shrugged. "I know it probably sounds pathetic to you, but I enjoy the quietness."

"No, I don't blame you at all. You have a lot to deal with Mia."

"Yeah," she smiled sadly. She walked over and offered a glass to Brian. "So you really broke up with someone because she didn't want kids?" Leaning against the counter, she sipped and waited for an answer.

"It would have been worse if I married her and had to pretend to be happy," he explained. "Happiness is important."

"It is," she agreed.

"Are you happy?" he couldn't help but ask. "I mean I know you have school and work and a supportive family but do you…have someone else?"

"Like a boyfriend?" she clarified. "No, Aiden keeps me pretty busy. I haven't even been on a date since before he was born."

"I'm not judging you," he began, reaching for the bottle to refill his glass and then offered it to Mia. "But I really think the male population is going to miss out if you keep hiding yourself from the world."

She blushed. "You don't have to say nice things to me Brian. I know I'm a screw up."

"You're beautiful," he declared. "And you're smart and from what I can see, you're an amazing mom even if the circumstances were less than ideal. How can you equate yourself to anything less?"

"You weren't here Brian," stated Mia. "You didn't see the destruction I caused. If it wasn't for me, Dom could have been so much more. He could have been in the professional racing circuit instead of working in a garage and illegally street racing for an adrenaline rush. I brought a child into this world with absolutely nothing to offer him and it was years before I was finally able to get my life back together. And its my fault Vince can't show his face around here."

By this point, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Brian rushed up and gently wiped them away with his thumb before bringing her into an embrace.

XX

"You want to know something?" Letty whispered after Dom had shut the door before them. They stood in the hallway and he looked at her expectantly. "I think you're going to make a great dad someday."

"I don't know," he breathed, signaling for her to follow him to his room. "Unlike Brian, being a father isn't really a priority for me."

She sat on the edge of his bed and patted the spot beside her, wrapping her arm around him once he sat down. "Because of Mia and Aiden?"

He nodded. "They're everything to me and I need to focus being there for Aiden. He doesn't have a father and if I start having kids of my own, I won't be able to be there for him like he deserves. No woman is ever going to accept their place in my life."

"I get it," Letty confessed.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "You've been there through it all, so I guess you do." He was just about to lean in and connect their lips when the doorbell interrupted them.

XX

"Sorry," Mia said as she pulled out of the hug upon hearing the doorbell. "I'm not usually this emotional."

"Don't apologize." He followed her to the front of the house, where she opened the door.

"Vince…" Mia muttered when she saw who had caused the disturbance. "You can't be here!"

"Move out of my way bitch. I'm here for my son!"

_**Okay, so what did you think!? Are you shocked that Aiden is Vince's kid or was it kind of obvious? What do you think about Dom not wanting kids? Is Mia suspicious of Letty's relationship with her brother? Why exactly is John O'Conner such a horrible man? Does Mia feel something towards Brian and does he feel something towards her? What will happen when he finally goes back to New York?**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_I hope this chapter gives you some insight to Mia's past. For all your Vince fans, he will be making more appearances!_**

Dom and Letty rushed down the stairs after hearing Mia's scream.

"Get out of here!" Mia attempted to push him out the door but Vince just shoved her aside. "Where is he? Where's Aiden!?"

Brian rushed to Mia but kept looking in the other direction when he saw Vince head for the stairs

"Bad idea," Dom's deep voice warned after he saw his enemy's face.

"Letty!" Mia shrieked as she attempted to get up. Her head had hit the corner of a wall, and the impact had left a dent. "Call the cops!"

"Come on," Brian soothed, helping her stand. "I got you." He guided her over to the sofa and watched in a blur as Letty ran for the phone and Dom and Vince fought by the stairs.

"If you call the cops, I'll kill you!" Vince pointed to Letty. "I'll set this whole house on fire." When Letty didn't seem affected by his threat, he chased after her. "What did I say!?" He grabbed her hair and smacked the phone out of her hand.

Brian and Dom instantly separated the two. Brian broke Vince's grip while Dom punched him in the face. Letty used her freedom to place a rushed call to the 9-11. They had the house on file by now.

"FUUUUUCK!" Vince yelled out. As he wiped the blood from his lip, he stared at Brian. "Now you're one of them!? Fucking traitor!"

Brian looked to Dom, who breathed heavily. Letty was helping Mia up the stairs just as Aiden came down. "What's happening Mommy?"

"AIDEN!" Vince stared up at his son. "COME HERE!"

"Mommy?" Aiden looked at his mother again, who rushed him up the stairs.

"Its okay baby. The bad man can't hurt you."

XX

"So what the hell was that about?" Brian asked as him and Dom stood on the porch. The police had come to collect Vince while Mia and Letty were trying to get Aiden back to sleep.

"He knocked up my sister, among other things," Dom answered. It took everything he had not to punch a wall or go storming to the police station and kill the man who had ruined all of their lives.

"Oh," Brian whispered. "So he's Aiden's father?"

"Vince ain't a father!" Dom stopped until he could finally cool down. "I knew he was using but it wasn't until he really messed up at work that I fired him. He didn't understand that I couldn't put the garage at risk and even though I tried to get him help, he wanted revenge."

"He's on drugs?"

"Yeah," Dom confirmed. "Anyway, after I fired him he started to get real close to Mia. She was still hurting after Pop's death and Vince offered her some crack and told her it would make the pain go away. He got her hooked on pretty much every drug and then told her she owed him thousands to dollars. He started sending the dealers to our house to collect.

"I couldn't afford it Brian. I had been training to be a racer before my dad died and when he did I inherited a mortgage, a garage and a restaurant that was barely bringing in a profit. I had to quit everything and take out loans all while trying to get her to stop using.

"But by that point, he had turned her against me. He told her he would make the dealers go away if she slept with him, so she did."

Brian ran a hand down his face and sighed in frustration. "That son of a bitch!"

"It's been hell Brian. Some days, I wasn't sure she would make it. And other days I had no idea how I was going to pay off our bills."

"What made her change?"

"Letty," Dom responded. "She convinced Mia to get clean for the baby's sake and then introduced me to the world of illegal street racing. Somehow my talent was able to pay off all the loans and get us all back on track."

"Look Dom, I know this may sound hallow considering how many years I've been gone, but I'm here for you guys. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Appreciate it Brian."

XX

"How's Mia?" Letty asked the next morning as she made her way into the garage. Leon had the day off and Jesse wouldn't be in until later.

Dom stayed silent until he finally took a binder and threw it into the wall. He then kicked over a toolbox, before finally making his way over to a car and throwing a grease cloth at the windshield.

She didn't try and stop him. Unlike most, she understood Dom and when the anger built up, it was better that he released it. When she knew his tirade was over, she hugged him from behind and kissed his back.

"God Letty. She was curled up in bed with a huge bump on her head and a bruise on her cheek. Aiden was too terrified to even go to school today." Her touch instantly made him relax.

"They're both fighters," Letty reasoned. "I have every faith that they'll be fine by the end of the day."

He turned so he was now facing her. Still in her embrace, Dom realized that there were no words that could describe how he felt about her. "You brought me breakfast?" he observed, seeing the forgotten coffees and bag by the table.

She simply nodded. "Sometimes even tough guys need someone to take care of them."

XX

Brian knocked on the door of the Toretto household and completely understood Mia's hesitation before opening it. She had looked through the side window to confirm that he wasn't Vince.

"Hi Brian," she tiredly greeted. "What's up?"

He held up goodie bag and smiled. "I ran into Dom this morning and he said you and Aiden were home. I thought I'd bring you breakfast."

"You didn't have to do that," she insisted, opening the door wider so he could come in.

"It's nothing compared to the meal you made last night. Thank you for that, by the way." Upon walking in, he noticed Aiden on the couch. They were both still in their pajamas.

"Aiden, look who came by," Mia said to her son. "Go say hello."

"Hey buddy!" Brian greeted, taking a seat beside the child. "How are you?" When there was no reply, Brian looked to Mia.

"He's been like that since last night. Nothing I say will make him talk."

Brian nodded and tried again. "Who are your friends going to play baseball with today if you're not there?"

This time, Aiden shrugged.

"Do you like pancakes, bacon and hash browns?

Again he shrugged.

"Well okay…" Brian warned. "If you don't like pancakes, then I guess me and your mom are just going to have to eat them all!"

"No!" Aiden cried. "I'm starving!"

Mia giggled, mouthing a silent 'thank you' to Brian.

XX

"Hey Let, can you come here for a second?" Dom asked as he stared at the blank pages before him.

"What's up man?"

"What happened to the inventory sheets? I can't find them anywhere."

Letty shut the binder closed. "I did the inventory last week. I figured it would put me in your good graces."

Dom breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed her hand. "Some days, I think I should just marry you," he joked.

"Whatever," Letty retorted, rolling her eyes as she went back to work.

XX

"You and Uncle Dom knew each other when you were my age!?" Aiden asked Brian incredulously.

"Yup!" Brian answered. "And I knew your mom when she was just a baby."

"How old are you?" Aiden queried.

Brian chuckled when Mia glared at her son, as if to tell him such a question was not polite. "I'm twenty-eight."

"Mom's twenty-four. She's a baby!"

"Hey!" Mia cut in. "I thought we agreed to keep my age a secret!"

Aiden went to sit beside his mother and mockingly patted her back. "Its okay Momma, you're still younger than Brian."

"Hey!" It was Brian's turn to scold the boy.

"Old people are so moody," Aiden observed. He then looked to his mom. "Can I go to Uncle Dom's room and play video games?"

Mia pursed her lips, as if thinking over her decision before she finally agreed. "Just make sure you don't break anything!"

"I won't!" the boy assured as he raced up the stairs.

"He's insane," Mia noted when she saw Brian smile at the exchange. "But…he's also the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"And you're the best thing that's ever happened to him," Brian offered.

She took a bite of the hash brown before talking. "I owe you an explanation about last night."

He shook his head. "Mia, you don't owe me anything. Dom already told me stuff and I…"

"You know about the drugs? And the money?"

"Yeah," Brian replied.

"Then I'm really surprised that you're here. You should stay away from me Brian."

"People make mistakes Mia," he said, leaning over to be near her. "What matters is that unlike Vince, you were able to move past it."

"I can't even trust him enough to know Aiden. I refuse to let my little boy grow up with a father who is high 24/7."

"Mia…" Brian breathed. "Before last night, I still remembered him as one of my closest childhood friends. I had no idea he had turned into that."

"I was like that too," Mia confessed. "If it wasn't for Dom and Letty, I'd probably be dead."

"Well, look on the bright side! Instead you're here with me eating pancakes on your family room floor," Brian teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Mia nudged him and laughed. "You've been a welcome surprise Brian O'Conner."

XX

Letty yawned, extending her arms into the air. It had been a long day and after the events of last night, she was exhausted. "Dominic?" she called out, knowing Leon had gone home a few moments before.

"Yes, Leticia?" his voice boomed from the other side of the shop.

"I'm going to head out. I'm feeling kind of tired."

He nodded. "Sure, you want me to drive you?"

Although the offer was tempting, she knew she would inevitably invite Dom upstairs to her apartment where yet another destructive night of passion would occur. They were getting too attached.

"No, I'll be fine." With that, she left the garage and drove off in Dom's Charger.

XX

"You don't look happy," Brian observed as Dom stormed into the house, dropping his wallet and eyes on a small table by the door. "Long day?"

"You could say that," Dom replied, watching as Brian and Aiden sat on the couch with books and Lego pieces piled around them. "Where's my sister?"

"Sleeping. I offered to watch Aiden until you came home."

Aiden got up and started walking towards his uncle. "Brian's cool. He's not a bad guy."

Dom lifted him up and threw him in the air. "No, Brian's a good guy. And he's going to watch you for a few more minutes. I need to talk a shower."

"Uh yeah sure, just offer up my services," Brian joked. Truthfully, he adored the boy and was happy to spend any amount of time with him.

XX

The second Letty got to her apartment, she fell to her couch and draped a blanket over her body. She didn't have the energy for a shower, nor did she have the appetite to make dinner. All she wanted to do was sleep.

XX

Later that evening, Mia woke to the sound of a basketball hitting the pavement right below her room. Curiosity getting the better of her, she stuck her head out the window and was pleasantly surprised to see Dom, Aiden and Brian all shooting hoops.

"Mia!" Brian had saw her immediately and waved. "What do you say you come down here and we'll play like old times?"

With a simple nod, she had her way down the stairs and through the front door. She was still in her pajama bottoms but had put on a sweater and her trainers. "So which lucky guys gets me on their team?"

Aiden and Dom quickly pointed at Brian while Brian stood dumfounded. It was clear her family members knew just how terrible she was at sports.

"Sorry Mia, me and Aiden are always a team," Dom defended as she shoved him away.

"That's okay," Brian laughed dribbling the ball back and forth. "That just means you two will always lose together." He threw the ball at Mia, who surprising caught it. "We got this."

She smiled, knowing full well that she shouldn't feel so flustered by his reappearance in her life.

**_Stay tuned for the next chapter as Dom and Letty experience a life-changing situation that will force them to evaluate their FWB agreement. _**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hi everyone! Thanks again to all **_**_those who reviewed. Sorry I haven't had a chance to update in a couple of few weeks but I am back and already have several chapters written._**

**_This chapter will reveal exactly how Dom and Letty's complicated relationship came to be, as well as some progression on things between Brian and Mia._**

**_Let me know what you think :)_**

"Anyone see Letty?" Dom had been stuck in the office all morning and didn't notice her absence at work.

Leon shook his head. "Nah man, she's probably still sick."

"Maybe. But she usually calls." Truth was, Dom was worried. He hadn't seen much of her in last few weeks. First he just assumed she was on her period and didn't feel like being around him but as the days wore on, he grew more concerned.

"Why don't you go pay her a visit?" Jesse suggested. He took his attention away from the computer long enough to give his boss a knowing glance. "We all know we're not going to get anything done unless we know she's okay. Me and Leon can hold down the fort for an hour or so."

This was why Dom loved his crew. Jokes aside, they were always there for each other.

"Thanks Mad Scientist." Dom picked up his jacket and keys. "I'll take you up on that."

"Be careful!" Leon called out after him. "If it's PMS, I don't see your visit ending well."

XX

"Hey Letty!" Mia was surprised by the appearance of her best friend. The female mechanic had been scarce for almost a month. "How are you feeling?"

Entering the diner, Letty still felt sick but she didn't think it was the flu anymore. "I'm fine," she lied. "How are you living girl?"

Mia shrugged. "Same old. I have a shift here and then Aiden has a baseball game and also needs me to make cupcakes for his class bake sale tomorrow..."

Letty sat down on a stool by the counter. "I don't know how you do it Mia. You're superwoman."

"Ha!" Mia snorted. "We both know I wouldn't be able to do anything if it weren't for you and Dom."

Reaching over for a bottle of apple juice, Letty looked at her friend sadly. Even after all these years, Mia still hadn't regained her confidence. "Well, I wouldn't have passed high school if I didn't copy your homework every day. So don't give me credit."

Mia just smiled. There was no use going further with this conversation; it had been replayed far too many times. "No coffee today?" She eyed Letty's bottle of apple juice suspiciously.

"Nah," Letty took off the lid and took a long sip. "I'm hoping the juice will ease my stomach a bit. Nothing else is helping."

Except for one customer sitting on the patio outside, the diner was practically empty. "You've been sick for a while now. Do you want me to make you some soup?" Mia offered, already getting the ingredients ready before Letty could refuse.

"Sure, that would be great." After eating canned soup all week, Mia's cooking was a welcome change.

Letty watched as she fired up the stove and looked around the diner. It was sad that it had now been resorted to a financial burden instead of the upbeat breakfast spot it had once been. A lot changed when Tony died and they were all still struggling to cope, herself included.

"So, what's the deal with you and Dom? Why have you two been spending so much time together?"

The mention of his name instantly grabbed Letty's attention. "Mia, Dom and I have always been around each other. Aside from the fact that we work together, we are also friends."

Mia's back was turned to Letty and she concentrated on stirring the pot. "Something's different. You whisper a lot and you look at each other differently."

That was the understatement of the year. Mia had no idea just how familiar Letty had become with the oldest Toretto sibling. "We've just been under a lot of stress with the garage."

The young mother raised an eyebrow. "Dom has let the other guys leave work early on multiple occasions. He wouldn't do that if the shop was behind."

Letty walked into the kitchen portion of the diner and got another bottle of apple juice. "I don't make the decisions around there. Take it up with Dom." Her heart was starting to race and the blood was rushing to her head.

Mia was about to insist Letty tell her the entire truth, but something caught her eye; or rather, someone.

"Hello ladies," their blue-eyed guest greeted.

"Brian!" Mia exclaimed, hurriedly fixing her hair and straightening out her apron. "This is rare. I get two visitors in one day."

Brian grinned as he took the seat previously occupied by Letty. "I just came from the hospital. I figured I'd come here and keep you company."

"Well that's interesting," Letty remarked, taking another sip of her juice. "Since when did you two become so chummy?"

Setting aside his menu, Brian turned to Letty and grinned. "Look Letty, I know you probably want to bang me right here on this counter, but you should really work on your jealousy issues. Mia and I can do whatever we please."

Letty narrowed her eyes but laughed nonetheless. She was definitely going to kill Leon and Jesse for their joke but she also couldn't help but notice the unsubtle looks Mia and Brian gave each other. Their eyes lit up and she didn't miss how Mia had leaned forward so their faces were less than a foot apart. She was going to have to get the full story on the situation as soon as he left.

"So what can I get you? I think I might owe you a tuna sandwich from last time," Mia asked, feeling flustered by his presence once again.

"Don't do it," Letty warned him. "Unless of course, you have a death wish." She then took up Mia's task of making soup when they both looked at her in shock. They had forgotten she was even there.

"Are your tuna sandwiches that bad? Aiden's given me a warning too," Brian chuckled.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Everyone is overdramatic. Trust me, they're more than edible."

"I guess I'll take the risk. Give me a tuna on white, no crust."

She smiled, hoping her cheeks weren't as red as the felt. She could however feel Brian's eyes on her as she turned to walk towards Letty.

"That boy is either stupid or in love," the mechanic joked, her voice lowered. She then took a seat next to him, a bowl of soup steaming in front of her. "God, I am starving."

"Typical Letty," Brian observed. "I guess some things never change."

Before she had a chance to reply, Mia came back with Brian's sandwich. "I promise you won't die."

He thanked her as he lifted the bread to his mouth. As he was about to take a bite, he heard Letty gag and run towards the bathroom.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

XX

Dom tried calling Letty's phone multiple times, but got no answer. He was standing outside her apartment door and realized he had no idea where she could possibly be. Her job was her life and if she wasn't at the shop, she was usually at his house. But since he hadn't seen her much in the last month, this was his next guess.

"Come on Letty, open up!"

XX

"Letty!" Mia called from the other side of the door. She had heard Letty vomiting for the last five minutes and was beyond concerned. "Are you okay? Let me help you."

There was no answer and she looked at Brian, who also had a worried expression. "Its not normal for someone to have a stomach bug for three weeks."

Mia agreed, as her patience wore thin. "Leticia Ortiz you better open this door right now or I'll break it down."

Brian smirked. Her empty threats to Letty sounded much like how a mother would scold a child. "I'd love to see that."

"Me too," Letty commented, slowly emerging from the bathroom. "Jesus Mia, its your damn tuna. Just the smell of it made me gag."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Very funny. You need to go to a doctor, this could be something serious."

"I know," she hesitantly agreed. "As soon as I think I'm getting better, I start feeling like shit all over again."

"You don't have a fever," Mia observed, putting the back of her hand against Letty's forehead. "Your temperature is normal."

"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Brian offered.

Letty shook her head. "No, don't worry. I'll be fine. I have to make a stop first but I'll go see a doctor."

"You better," Mia warned.

"Yes Mom," Letty joked. "I'll see you both later." She waved before grabbing her bag and leaving.

"Something's not right," Mia observed.

XX

Letty sat in her car and prayed. She had never been particularly religious but she begged for God to let her bleed. She needed reassurance but after being three weeks late, she started to lose hope in Mother Nature.

"I can't be pregnant," she reasoned with herself. "We always used protection. This cannot be happening."

Her eyes darted to the glove box, where there was a bag of pregnancy tests. She hadn't taken one yet even though she had bought four yesterday. Instead, she tried to ignore the obvious signs and convince herself that the nausea was caused by a stomach bug. It was possible, right?

"Dom is going to flip out. He doesn't want kids…I don't want kids! Nobody even knows I'm sleeping with him, how are they going to react if they find out we're going to have a baby together? Jesus, how am I going to look after a kid? Babies are expensive….fuck!"

She made a right turn at the next intersection pulled into her apartment parking lot. She couldn't put off knowing any longer; she needed answers.

XX

"You don't have to eat that!" Mia said when she saw Brian about to bite into his tuna sandwich. "I can make you something else."

Brian chuckled. "You do know that Letty vomited because of reasons other than your sandwich right? It was just a coincidence."

"But still…" Mia began, knowing her argument was mute once Brian began to chew.

"Hey, this is pretty good!" Brian commented, taking another bite.

"Really?" Mia laughed, examining him intently to see if he was lying.

He nodded. "I mean, it's not on par with your spaghetti, but I'd definitely order it again. I'm getting the feeling you're the type of person who could make broccoli taste good."

"Oh wow," she laughed again. "Flattery…I like that."

Brian looked at her and winked. "I think you should be praised all the time. But if no one else can convince you of how great you are, I'll make it my personal mission."

Mia bit her lip to suppress a smile. "Well, stick around and I may just reward you with a cupcake."

"Cupcakes?" Brian's eyes lit up.

"Yup," Mia said, turning on the mixer. "I have to make sixty for a bake sale at Aiden's school tomorrow. But I think I can spare one just for you."

He held a hand to his heart and feigned disbelief. "Mia Toretto, you make me feel so special."

"You are," Mia teased. "Special enough that I'm going to let you help me. How good are you with sprinkles?"

Brian lifted the counter and entered the kitchen area. "I'm petty sure I can manage."

"Excellent."

"Indeed," Brian grinned. He watched as she strategically put the mix into the trays and didn't make a sound until she made a mistake and it fell onto her apron.

"Are you laughing at me O'Conner?" she turned to face him, a glint of mischief in her eye. When he continued to chuckle, she lifted the spoon from the bowl and flung the excess mix onto his face. "Not so funny now, is it?"

"MIA!" Brian exclaimed, trying to wipe it off. He looked at her, a wide smile on her face. "Oh you better run!"

She did just that, setting aside the bowl and making her way through the diner. Brian chased after her, his dirty hand waiting for revenge.

He caught up from behind her and grabbed her waist from behind.

"Wait!" Mia squealed. "I surrender!"

"I'm not letting you off that easy," he said. "You have to agree to something first!"

"What?" Mia turned in his arms so that she was facing him. One hand remained on her lower back while the other one held the cupcake mix and was ready for attack.

"Have dinner with me tonight. My treat."

Mia was taken aback by his request. She searched his blue eyes, hoping they would reveal his intentions. "I can't."

"Well alright then," he said, dramatically slowing down his hand from dropping the mix onto her head. Although he continued to joke around with her, there was obvious disappointment in his voice.

"Aiden has a baseball game," she explained, hoping he wouldn't take her rejection personally.

"What about after baseball?"

She sighed. It was difficult to explain her schedule to people who didn't have children. "Its my night with Aiden. Dom's coming to the game, but I don't know what his plans are for after. He may be busy…"

"Mia," Brian stopped her. "I was including Aiden in our plans. I know you have a son and I don't except you to go out and find a babysitter just because I want to go to out. I like spending time with both of you."

She didn't know what context she should take his words in, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Well in that case, we'd love to have dinner with you."

"Okay," he grinned, his eyes gleaming. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"Okay," she nodded in response. "So can you let go of me now? I have to finish those the cupcakes."

"Right," he nervously chuckled. He watched as she walked away and then realized he was still holding the gooey substance in his hand. His childish antics had gotten Mia to agree to have dinner with him, so he supposed immaturity was good for something.

XX

"Dom?" Letty questioned as she reached her apartment door. He was sitting against it, about to drift off into sleep. Her grip on the bag that held the pregnancy tests tightened. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't show up for work today and you didn't call," he explained, noticing her pale complexion and tired eyes. "I was worried."

She brushed past him and unlocked the door. "Look, I don't need you checking up on me out of some twisted form of obligation. We had sex a bunch of times, that doesn't mean we're in some sort of relationship."

The bitterness in her voice surprised him. She was often cold to many people, but he hadn't been on the receiving end in almost a decade. "Letty, we're friends. I would still be here even if we weren't sleeping together."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and entered her home. "I'm fine."

"Apparently!" Dom said, following her in. "I mean if you're well enough to give me attitude, then you sure as hell didn't have a reason to blow off work!"

"You're one to talk!" she spat back. "You're wasting time by being here when you could be fixing a car! What did you do? Pawn off your work to Leon and Jesse so that you could come over and maybe we would hook up? Is that what this is? Is this some fucking kind of bootycall!? Because I'm really not in the mood!"

"Wh..Le…" Dom paused, at a complete loss for words. He had no idea what he could have done to deserve her wrath. He was just concerned for her wellbeing.

"Why are you standing there!?" she demanded. "We're not going to have sex today…or ever, for that matter, so you can leave! Go find some dumbass bimbo who can tolerate to see your face!" Letty didn't mean any of the words she was saying, but she didn't know how else to react to a friend who could have possibly got her pregnant. She would tell him the truth once she found out, but she didn't want to rely on him any more than that.

"Don't flatter yourself!" Dom replied. His anger and frustration was heightening. "I didn't come here to have sex with you. I made the stupid mistake of thinking that you and I were still friends who cared about each other but clearly I was wrong. So give me a call when your panties aren't in such a bunch or just forget that I was ever he-"

He stopped mid sentence when Letty clutched her mouth and ran to the bathroom. He heard the toilet seat go up and the sound of her coughing. She was no doubt about to vomit. He may have been furious, but he wouldn't leave in her time of need.

Hurriedly, he went after her and upon seeing her lean in to empty her stomach, he pulled her hair back and sat on the ledge of the bathtub.

The situation reminded him of the only other time he had seen Letty throw up. Coincidently, it was the morning after their first night together.

XX

_Letty stormed into the auto shop, throwing her keys and bag onto the desk that held the cash register. It was past ten, but she couldn't go home. She needed something to focus her attention on and work gave her that outlet._

_Dom slid from under a car upon hearing someone enter his garage. When he saw Letty, his expression turned from curious to concerned. "How'd the date go?"_

_Instead of immediately responding, Letty shrugged out of her leather jacket and tied her curls into a messy bun. She took a wrench out of the toolbox and made her way over to the same car Dom was working on, adjusting a few things on the engine. Dom hovered over her and watched as she carried on with his task._

_"That bad huh?"_

_"He was a fucking brain surgeon!" Letty groaned. She tossed the wrench to the side and slammed the hood. "He showed up at my place in a suit and tie and we spent the entire dinner in silence."_

_Dom chuckled. "Your mom set you up with a doctor? Does she know you at all?"_

_"Apparently not," she mumbled. "She's still managing to interfere with my life from a totally different country! I swear to god, if the medicine man had been wearing a stethoscope, I would have choked him with it!"_

_He moved past her to continue working. "Some guys like aggressive chicks."_

_She huffed. "Well I didn't like him."_

_"You never do. Didn't you dump your ex just for leaving his clothes at your place?"_

_"Dylan?" Letty laughed. "No, I dumped him because he started spending the night without an invitation."_

_Dom stopped and raised a brow. "But he was your boyfriend. Isn't that protocol?_

_"I like my space. I refuse to cuddle." She stood there with her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face._

_"Yeah, I pretty much guessed that."_

_Suddenly aware that Dom was staring at her, Letty changed the subject. "So what's up with you man? Why are you working so late?"_

_He sighed. "I wanted to get this car done before the weekend so I could take Saturday off. I'm taking Aiden to a car show."_

_"I can finish it tomorrow. Go home and enjoy the weekend with my favourite little man." _

_ Dom was grateful for all the effort Letty put into the garage. She worked harder than him on most days. He was even more pleased that she took such an interest in Aiden. "Are you sure?"_

_ "Positive."_

_ He started cleaning the grease off his hands with every intention of heading home, before he had a change of heart. "Hey, you want to go get a beer or something?"_

_ Letty smirked and went to retrieve her bag. Pulling out a bottle of tequila, she turned to him. "I'm way ahead of you. Care to share my poison?" _

_Laughing, he took the bottle from her hand and poured the substance into two coffee mugs. "To sharing," he saluted._

_XX_

_ What started off as a couple of shots resulted in over two-thirds of the bottle being consumed by the two mechanics. Both could hold their alcohol, but this was excessive, even for them. _

_ "I…I was…wasn't your- your cheerleader!" Letty slurred as she paced around the office. Dom was seated on the desk chair, equally drunk._

_ "But…you…you wanted me to win!" _

_ As music blared in the background, they were recalling a time when Dom had been racing professionally on the racetrack. It was before his father had died and before Mia's drug use. _

_ "Well duh," Letty's expression straightened. "You…you were the best! Everyone…wanted…you to win."_

_ "Including my personal cheerleader," he said smugly, pointing at her. _

_ "Screw you," she retorted. She struggled to grab a pillow from the couch, but when she did, she threw it in his direction. "Everyone has a talent, asshole."_

_ Dom laughed. "You're quite…feisty…there Ortiz." He picked the pillow up from where it missed him and walked over to her. "So what's your talent? What…what are…you better at than anyone else?"_

_ She pursed her lips, pretending to think. Finally, she answered confidently, "Sex."_

_ He coughed, seemingly choking on air until he could regain his composure. Her reveal was unexpected, even if he had wondered about it sometimes. "Is that right?"_

_ Letty took a few wobbly steps closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. "You bet your ass." They were so close she could feel his hitched breath on her face. Neither said anything more and after a moment of staring into his eyes, Letty crashed her lips onto his, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer._

_ He didn't question her actions; he reciprocated, placing both of his hands on either side of her waist. He led them towards to the desk, with Letty losing her footing and falling backwards onto the cool metal. _

_ They broke apart and Letty giggled before Dom lifted her up and swiped all the papers and contents of the desk to the floor. He lowered her again, and once more she felt the coldness through her clothes. _

_ He stood between her legs and breathed heavily. "Letty…"_

_ She didn't give him a chance to object and instead reached to bring him closer to her. Their lips connected and she pulled his shirt up, using one hand to feel the muscles she had so often seen but never touched. _

_ Dom understood her need and took it off completely and then moved to release her hair from its bun. She arched back so he could lean into her and used the new access to kiss the skin beneath his neck. _

_ He hissed when he felt her bite and lifted her legs up so he could remove her shoes. He hadn't noticed when she walked in, but Letty had been wearing heels. She was the only woman he knew who could work on an engine while still managing to stun him with her beauty. _

_ After her shoes were thrown hastily to the other side of the room, Letty stood and backed Dom into a corner. She attacked his lips with more kisses, while he tried to unbutton her shirt. After fumbling with the third button, he gave up and ripped the rest open. The sound of plastic could be heard hitting the floor, but neither cared when Letty started to unbuckle his belt._

_ "Wait," Dom stopped her, covering her hands with his own. "We…we can't do this."_

_ She eyed his bottom half and grinned. "Oh, but I assure you we can."_

_ "Letty…"_

_ "Dom!" she breathed. "We would…we…us…I want this."_

_No other reassures were given between them. Within minutes, their clothing was removed as they groped and touched places they had only dreamed of during those long days at work in close proximity. _

_Dom led her over to the couch and Letty pushed him to lay down. Straddling him, she gave into his kisses before whispering in his ear. "Get ready for the ride of your life Toretto."_

_XX_

_The next morning, it took Letty time to process where she was. With each blink, she took in her surroundings and the events of the previous night all came rushing back._

_Her cheek rested on Dom's chest as he held her tightly to prevent her from falling off the small couch. She strained her neck to see if he was awake, but she was greeted with his soft snores. _

_Absentmindedly, she began tracing circles on his abdomen. She knew she shouldn't have been so comfortable after waking up beside one of her best friends, but she was. Her whole 'overnight cuddling' argument was shot to hell when she realized that being in Dom's arms was the safest she had ever felt. _

_Just as she was about to let sleep overtake her once more, the remnants of last night's other indulgence crept up her throat. "Fuck" was all she said before jumping off the couch and running to the garbage._

_Dom, who had been startled by the sudden outburst, shot up and groaned. His head was pounding and it took a minute before he too could remember what had occurred. He rubbed his temples until he saw Letty kneeled over in front of a trashcan. _

_As she gagged, he simply sat down beside her and held her hair. He used his other hand to rub her back soothingly._

_"I'm okay," she mumbled after the entire contents of her stomach had been emptied out. _

_Dom only nodded, holding his hand out to help her up. "I'll go get you some water." He needed to distance himself from her and the feeling in his body that burned with desire._

XX

As Letty lifted her head up, Dom was pulled away from the memory that had occurred roughly four months prior.

"I'm sorry," she barely managed to whisper. She felt terrible for not only being sick and the horrible things she had said, but for the bomb she was about to drop on him.

He slid down to the floor and she instantly leaned into him, devoid of all he energy she had before. "Its okay."

"No, its not okay Dom" he felt her shake her head. "I think I'm pregnant."


	7. Chapter 7

**_Is Letty actually pregnant? Read and find out! :)_**

"Change of plans," Mia said as she put down the phone. Brian, who was focusing on sprinkling the finished cupcakes, looked up at her. "Dom can't make it to the game tonight. So I guess Aiden and I can meet up with you right after."

"Sure," Brian said, continuing to stare at her. "Is everything okay with Dom?"

"I don't know," Mia frowned. "He just said he had to take care of something. It isn't like him to miss out though, so it must have been important."

"Will Aiden be disappointed?"

"Probably," Mia admitted. "He loves his Uncle Dom and he loves baseball. He'll be a little disappointed that there will be one less person watching tonight."

"What if I come?" he offered. "I know I'm not at 'Uncle Dom' status but I think Aiden likes me. Plus he has a good arm, I want to see how much he's improved."

"Aiden idolizes you," she laughed. "He'll be ecstatic that you wanted to come watch him play and that you helped make the cupcakes."

"Well, I'm just glad to spend an evening with two out of the three Toretto's."

Mia gave him a smile and gently squeezed one of his hands. "Thanks for everything Brian."

XX

_"I think I'm pregnant."_

Her words played over and over in his head, even after she had asked him to leave the bathroom so she could clean up. He used the time to place a quick call to Mia, but then returned to his thoughts again.

"Hi," Letty greeted, finally emerging into the living room where he had been sitting, no doubt in shock.

"Hey," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged, settling on the coffee table so she could face him. "The nausea comes and goes. I'm okay for right now." She reached out to rest her hand on his thigh. "Thank you for asking me that instead of yelling at me."

He offered her a weak smile.

"Look, I'm three weeks late Dom. At first I just chalked it up to the Vince fiasco and stress but now I'm throwing up and tired all the time. Something's not right." He had never seen Letty cry except for when his father died but now there were tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I bought four pregnancy tests but I've been too afraid to take any."

"Letty…" he breathed while running a hand down his face. "I thought we were being safe."

"We were! We used condoms and I'm on the pill. Dom you know me, I'm like clockwork. I make sure I take it every day at the same time."

He nodded, recalling all the times he had seen Letty slip away to follow the ritual. "I'm not accusing you of anything. Sometimes these things happen."

"Yeah," she pouted. "Usually there's only a 1% chance but of course we'd fall under that category right? God just had to let you knock me up."

"Stop," Dom's voice was shaky and uneven. "We don't know anything for sure. It could just be a false alarm."

Biting her lip, Letty nodded. "But what if I am? What are we going to do?"

Dom switched his position to sit beside her and pulled her into his arms. "We'll find a way to get through this together. We've always made a good team Ortiz". He could feel her sigh into his chest.

"I'm scared." Even in his strong arms, she was absolutely mortified. "Less than a month ago, we talked about this. You don't want kids and I'm married to my job. How is this going to work?"

"Well," he started, bringing her closer to him. "I'm not going anywhere. If you are pregnant, I am going to be there for this kid."

"I know." She knew she could count on him to provide for their child. After being abandoned by his own mother when he was ten, Letty knew Dom wasn't a deadbeat.

"I'd be there for you too Letty. First we'd probably have to explain our situation to a few people but then I'd get you to move in with me."

"What? Is that really necessary?"

He slowly nodded his head. "You're going to have needs and it would just be easier if we were under the same roof."

"Needs?" Letty raised her brow. "You do realize that I'm never sleeping with you again right?"

Dom snorted. "I was referring to midnight donut cravings or someone to massage your feet when you can't see your toes anymore."

She remembered how Mia had trouble putting on her shoes when she was pregnant with Aiden and knew Dom was probably reflecting back on those same memories. It had been an enlightening experience for all of them.

"Our house also has two extra rooms; one for the baby and one for you if you're actually serious about not wanting to have sex with me anymore."

That made her smile. The Toretto house and the people who live there always made her feel more at home than when she was with her own family. "I think I should take a test."

Dom agreed as she retrieved the bag from the kitchen. He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared; he was terrified. "I'll be right here."

XX

"You were awesome buddy!" Brian praised the seven-year-old boy after the game. "If you keep that up, I guarantee that you can get a scholarship to any college of your choice."

"Really? Thanks!" Aiden beamed. He struggled to lift his bag, so Brian picked it up for him.

"See Aiden. Its never too early to start thinking about college," Mia interjected. Aiden then went to hug her and she held him tight. "I'm proud of you," she said, kissing his forehead.

"I love you Momma."

Brian smiled as he watched the exchange. "You have a good kid there, Mia."

"I know it," she replied. "He's the best."

"I could think of a few flaws," a voice said from behind them. Mia whipped her head around and saw someone she desperately tried to avoid every time Aiden's team faced her son's.

"Excuse me?" Brian fumed. He recognized Vince's older sister and couldn't believe she had the audacity to bother Mia and Aiden.

Natasha Fernandez ignored him. "So Mia, you messed up my brother's life and now you're going to destroy Brian too? Is that the plan?"

Mia didn't address her. Instead she turned to Aiden. "Sweetie, why don't you go over to the coach and ask him when the next game is? I'll come and get you when I'm done talking to this lady."

"Okay Momma," he said, eyeing the woman worriedly before running off.

Brian watched him to make sure he reached the coach safely and continued to keep an eye on him as Mia and Natasha exchanged words.

"Don't you ever say a single word about my son again! You have no right!"

"Oh no?" Natasha instigated. "He is my nephew. You may have lied your way through the court system to take away Vince's parental rights but he's still connected to us."

"I didn't lie! Vince is still an addict. He didn't stop using seven years ago and he's not going to stop now."

Natasha let out a cold laugh. "Oh there she goes! High and mighty Mia Toretto acting as if she wasn't once a drug-addicted slut. Its convenient that you always seem to leave that out of your sob stories!"

"Hold on!" Brian interrupted. "You're calling Mia a slut? How many marriages have you broken up Natasha? Before I left the total was three but I'm confident you've upped the ante in the last ten years."

"Why are you wasting your time with her Brian? You probably do well for yourself right? I guarantee that once she gets you to put a ring on it and pops out some of your kids, she's going to leave you…just like her mother. Except Mia will leave you with Aiden too, a bastard child that isn't even yours."

Mia had tried to remain relatively calm throughout the confrontation but Natasha had gone too far. "You bitch!" She was about to slap her but Brian pulled her back.

"She's not worth it Mia. Come on; let's get Aiden and go."

Mia only nodded, her body still shaking with fury.

Brian put an arm around her shoulders and guided her in the opposite direction.

XX

"How much longer?" Letty asked, pacing back and forth in her apartment. Dom was convinced she would run a hole through the ground if she kept it up.

"Two minutes," he answered from his place on the sofa. The suspense was killing him too but he didn't want to add to Letty's already jumpy behaviour.

"I took all four tests," she stated. "That way, there's no faulty reading."

"Makes sense."

"Okay I can't take it anymore!" She grabbed him hands and pulled him up. "Lets wait the last minute out in the bathroom."

He followed, not wanting to argue with her logic. They would have to wait all the same.

They both sat on the ledge of the bathtub and Letty's legs shook, so much so that Dom put a hand down to stop them.

"AH!" Letty jumped when she heard the alarm go off. "Okay. We can do this. Its just a baby right? You raised Aiden. How hard could it be? And if I'm not pregnant, even better! We'll just pretend this never happened and I promise I'll never come within five feet of you again."

Dom calmly got up and silenced her with a kiss. He knew he shouldn't have but he managed to render her speechless.

She hadn't objected either, snaking her arms around to the nape of his neck.

"Are you ready?" he asked when they finally broke apart.

"Yeah," she said, her eyes still shut. "Lets get this over with."

XX

"You live in New York City!?" Aiden questioned in disbelief. "That's so awesome!"

"It is a pretty cool place," Brian agreed with a slight laugh at the boy's enthusiasm. "Have you ever been?"

"No, but I really want to! Wouldn't New York be fun Momma?" His excitement caused him to run out of breath. He reached for his drink and looked at his mother.

"It would!" Mia smiled. "Maybe we'll go there one day."

"Okay!" Aiden exclaimed. "But we'll go to Disney World first right?"

Brian chuckled. "Nothing beats Disney World."

"How long are you going to be here Brian?" Aiden's question sparked Mia's interest too. It had been on her mind for a while now.

"I'm not sure buddy. I'm here indefinitely until my mom feels better."

The waiter then interrupted them with the bill, which Brian paid for in full despite Mia's objections.

"So I had fun tonight," she admitted as they walked towards the parking lot. She went to the back of the vehicle to make sure Aiden's seatbelt was secure before going to the passenger side. "Nice car, by the way."

Brian grinned cheekily. "Well I don't get to drive in New York so I thought I might as well rent a stunner," he said of the Nissan Skyline. "Although, it doesn't have my preferred modifications."

Mia shook her head. "You've been spending way too much time with Dom."

"Nah, Dom and I have different taste in cars."

"And you drive the speed limit," Mia observed as he turned onto the highway. "I appreciate that."

Brian chuckled, looking through the mirror to see that Aiden had fallen asleep. "This is rare for me. I don't want to risk anything while I'm carrying precious cargo."

Mia blushed when she understood the meaning of his words. She hadn't encountered anyone who had cared so much for her son.

They remained in a comfortable silence until Brian pulled into the Toretto driveway.

"Thanks for dinner Brian," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Thanks for joining me," he countered, also getting out of the car. He saw Mia about to wake up Aiden but he stopped her. "Let him sleep. I'll take him in."

She smiled appreciatively and grabbed her purse and Aiden's bag instead. Making her way up the porch steps, she watched Brian carefully remove her son from the car and carry him protectively. Aiden's head fell on his shoulder and the image of the two made her heart melt.

"His room is the third on the right," Mia instructed when they went inside. The lights were all off so she knew Dom had yet to return. "I'll be right up."

Brian nodded and retreated upstairs, trying to keep Aiden as comfortable as possible. It wasn't until the young boy was placed in his bed that he stirred awake.

"Brian?" he mumbled tiredly. "I need a bedtime story."

The blonde laughed. "Aren't you too tired?"

Aiden's eyes opened and he rubbed the sleep away. "No way! Mommy says a book a day will make me smart! If I miss it, I'll be behind!"

The way Aiden spoke about Mia's dedication made Brian admire her even more. He had never met a woman with such a natural maternal instinct. He thought his ex, Monica, would have been able to provide him with a happy family life but he was grateful she never got the chance. His life just didn't feel right with her; he felt more at home with Aiden and Mia than he had ever before and he wasn't even dating her.

"Alright buddy, what story do you want me to read?"

Aiden didn't bother to go to his bookshelf. Instead, he picked up a book from his night table. He had read it several times with Dom, Letty and his mom but now he knew how to read it all by himself and wanted to impress Brian.

"_Cars_?" Brian asked, raising his eyebrow with a smirk. "Have you seen the movie?"

"Uh huh," Aiden nodded proudly. "Its my favourite! Probably because I like cars a lot. Uncle Dom promised we would build one together one day."

"Really? Do you think I could help?" Brian sat down on the bed and leaned his back against the frame. He was surprised when Aiden cuddled beside him.

The boy looked up at him. "You like cars and baseball!? You're awesome!"

Brian chuckled. "You're pretty cool yourself buddy."

Just when Brian was about to ask if Aiden wanted to start reading, the child spoke. "Brian, do you know my daddy?"

"Hmm," he sighed, unsure of how to answer such a question. "What do you want to know?"

He felt Aiden shrug. "I just want to know why I don't have one. Its not fair, doesn't he love me?"

"Well he'd be crazy not to," Brian smiled. "You're the best kid in the world. It's probably hard to understand these things right now but sometimes you have to be grateful for the things you do have. You have Jesse, Leon, Uncle Dom, Aunt Letty and an amazing mom who loves you more than anything in this world."

"You're right," Aiden agreed. "I am lucky. And I'm grateful to have to you too Brian."

"Likewise buddy." He placed a kiss on the top of the kid's head. "I'm glad we met."

XX

Letty let out a breath and stared down at the four pregnancy tests that rested on her bathroom counter. Dom stood right behind her and did the same.

The results were all the same.

Positive.

Four little plus signs had changed the course of their lives within three minutes.

"Say something!" Letty ordered as her pacing returned. Her arms were crossed and she was biting her lip. Even though she expected the news, the confirmation shocked her nonetheless.

No words came out of Dom's mouth. He just leaned into the door and slid down until he sat on the ground. The image of the pregnancy tests was still in his head.

"Dom," Letty sat across from him and waved her hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?" His expression was blank but she managed to get a nod.

"We don't have to do this, you know?" she whispered. "There are options. We can look into adoption or abort…"

"Stop," he finally spoke. "I know this isn't my decision Letty, but I couldn't live with myself if I gave up my child or agreed to end a pregnancy. I wasn't raised that way."

"Me neither," she confessed, moving to sit beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. "Besides, I never believed in that whole happily ever after bullshit. Realistically, this is probably my only opportunity to have a child."

Dom chuckled. "I'm glad I could be of assistance." That remark earned him a punch. "But I'm sorry it had to happen this way. You deserve better."

She shrugged. "I knew what I was doing and we like having sex. You don't have to apologize."

"Oh but I will," he gulped. "Just wait until your parents find out. My child may be fatherless if your mom murders me."

"I can picture Mia killing me too once the baby is born. She's going to be so mad when she finds out we lied to her."

"We didn't lie," Dom clarified. "We just didn't want anyone to know."

Letty raised her brow. "Your sister will consider that a lie, right after she gets over the shock of her best friend banging her brother."

He covered his face and groaned. "We're screwed."

"Yup," Letty agreed, her lips pursed. Instinctively, she placed a hand over her stomach and looked down. "You hear that kid? Your mom and dad are two completely insane fools."

Dom couldn't help the smile that formed when he saw Letty speak to their child. She was not sentimental by any means, so the action was surprising. "We're going to be parents Let. We're going to raise a real human being together."

"I know," she said, her voice in awe. "Its pretty wild."

"Well, nothing about either of us was ever conventional. However, I think we should go to a doctor as soon as possible. Just to confirm and see if there is anything else we need to know."

"We?"

"Yeah," Dom confirmed, holding her hand. "I told you I'd be here for you and I meant it."

XX

"Sorry I took so long! I was trying to call Dom and…" Mia's voice trailed off when she walked into her son's bedroom. She had expected to see Aiden reading or telling some kind of crazy story to keep Brian entertained, but she was surprised by the sight in front of her.

A smile was brought to her face seeing Brian quietly snoring away as Aiden leaned into his arm, sleeping soundly. The book rested on Brian's chest, obviously forgotten.

Aside from Dom, Jesse and Leon, Mia had never known Aiden to take to a male's presence so easily. It amazed her that he was so trusting towards Brian in the mere months that they had known each other. Truthfully, it was shocking that Brian had even taken an interest in their lives in the first place.

"Hey…" Mia spoke softly, gently shaking Brian awake.

His eyes flickered open and it took a couple of seconds until he could register just where he was. He glances from Mia to Aiden, and then twisted his neck to stretch out the soreness. "Sorry. We must have fallen asleep."

Mia just smiled, offering him a hand to help him out of the small bed. He was careful not to disturb the young boy.

They walked out of the room and down the stairs in silence, and when Brian was about to leave, Mia finally spoke. "Hey, do you want to stay for some coffee or beer…or something?" She didn't want to seem eager, but she didn't want him to go just yet either.

Brian scratched the back of his neck, his expression one of regret. "I would love to Mia…"

"But?" She sensed the rejection right away and couldn't help but feel discouraged. Her feelings for Brian weren't exactly clear but she did know that she enjoyed spending time with him. She hadn't felt that way about anyone since she was a teenager.

"But," he explained, a smirk appearing on his lips at her upfront behaviour. "I know you have an early shift tomorrow and I don't want to tire you out."

Although touched by his concern, she didn't let on. "I'm a grown woman Brian. I can make my own decisions."

"Oh, I know," he said, eyeing her body playfully. He only stopped when she put her hand under his chin and lifted his gaze up. "But I care about you Mia. Is that really so bad?"

They stood mere inches apart. "That depends on your opinion of me. There are a lot of people who don't think I'm worth your attention."

Brian put his hands on either side of her shoulders and slightly leaned in. "I'm a grown man Mia. I can make my own decisions.

She rolled her eyes and giggled at his mockery. "You're real funny."

"I know."

Standing there in front of Brian gave Mia the opportunity to truly analyze his face. When she was younger, she had always admired his eyes. The colour was such a clear blue that it was as if she was looking into an ocean. However now that ten years had past and they both had matured, she knew there was more to him than that. She saw his kindness, she witnessed his protectiveness, and she also knew he was nurturing. It amazed her that he would willingly be in her company.

Before she could stop herself, she was grazing her thumb across his lips. "I like seeing you smile." The rest of her hand was touching his cheek.

Even though the gesture took him by surprise, he didn't miss a beat. "You bring out the best in me Mia."

"Right," she huffed, finally aware of their too close proximity. "Weren't you leaving?"

Brian knew she was trying to drive him away but he refused to take the bait. In the two months that they had become reacquainted, he had never seen her be so bold. His feeling for Mia became clearer with every day that passed but he was never sure what she was thinking. She had a giant proverbial wall surrounding her emotions and for good reason. He hated what she went through with Vince and would do anything to take away that pain. He still remembered what she was like as a kid and it angered him that anyone could just take advantage of her innocence.

"No," he finally answered, neither making a move to step away. "I think I'm right where I need to be."

Mia lowered her gaze but it was brought right back up when she felt Brian tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He let his hand linger down her face and to her neck. He took a step even closer and gazed right in her eyes, as if letting her know that only she could decide their next move.

"Brian…" she breathed, closing her eyes and preparing herself for what would inevitably come. Every thought in her mind warned her of the consequences she would face if she followed through but her body didn't react accordingly. She knew above anything else that Brian wouldn't hurt her like Vince had. She didn't have to be afraid of him.

Feeling herself being pulled closer and the warmth of his breath on her skin, Mia was ready to finally open herself up in a way she hadn't since she was seventeen. There hadn't been a single man or kiss since then.

"MOMMA!" a shout came from the top of the stairs. "I forgot to brush my teeth!"

Like an electric shock, the pair jumped apart.

"Shit," Mia hissed under her breath. "You should go."

Brian nodded, still recovering from their interruption. "Uh, sure. I'll see you later right?"

Mia was already walking up the stairs to Aiden when he made a move to go to the door. "Yeah…but lets just forget this happened. It was a bad idea."

And with that, Brian knew her walls would be working overtime the next time they saw each other.

_**Who was disappointed by the kiss being interrupted? What will Brian do to try and make Mia open up to him? How will Mia react to the baby news? **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sorry for the wait! I'm experiencing quite a bit of writers block this month and really struggled with this chapter. Anyway, let me know what you think.**_

"What's up man?" Brian queried as he walked into DT's. Dom was standing by the counter looking over some forms before he started the day. "You missed a good game last night."

"I heard," Dom frowned, a look of guilt taking over. "Thanks for stepping in. I know Aiden was glad to have you there. Mia also told me about the run-in with Natasha."

Brian rolled his eyes. "I have never met a bigger hypocrite. Why do people think they can just go around and judge Mia? I may have not been around before but she's an amazing person now."

"People aren't forgiving Brian," Dom turned to work on a car. "They think that by bringing up someone else's flaws, they'll be able to forget their own. It just pisses me off that Mia's usually on the receiving end around here. She hasn't been able to catch a break."

"That's actually why I came here," Brian observed his friend. "I'm heading back to New York tomorrow."

That caught Dom's attention. "What? I thought you were sticking around for a while?

"Well, my mom's doing a lot better and I basically put my life on hold for two months. I have to go and sort some things out."

"So you'll be back?" asked Dom, doing a quick oil change on one of the vehicles. No one else was at the garage yet. Since he and Letty had an appointment to go to later in the day, he figured he would start earlier.

"Yeah for sure," he explained. "I'm just going for the weekend to sublet my apartment and finish a business deal. I'm not moving back yet."

Dom simply nodded. "So what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Right," Brian walked to the mechanic and fidgeted with some nearby tools. "Well I went to dinner with Mia and Aiden last night and we talked about the New York. Aiden mentioned that he would really like to go one day and I thought that maybe I'd take them this weekend."

"Seriously?"

"Well yeah," Brian shrugged. "Look, its obvious that Mia works her ass off. She needs a break and Aiden's a good kid. I want to do this."

Although Dom was grateful that there was one more person who could see how special his sister and nephew were, he wasn't entirely convinced of Brian's motives. "But why?"

Brian chuckled at the interrogation. "Because Mia's my friend. She's been good to me since I've been back and I think she deserves the world. This is just a small contribution."

"Okay," Dom said before pointing a wrench in the blonde's direction. "But no funny business."

Brian held his hands up in surrender. "You won't have to worry about a thing. My intentions are purely honorable."

"They better be," Dom muttered. "I guess this trip is a good thing. Mia is going to need some breathing room in the next few days."

"What do you mean?"

Dom ran a hand over his bald head. There was no point in hiding the truth any longer. People were going to find out and truthfully, he needed someone to talk to. While Leon and Jesse were great friends, they lacked a sensitivity bone and failed at offering moral support. He could just imagine them making jokes about the situation instead.

"Letty's pregnant."

"Oh wow," Brian's eyes widened in surprise. "I guess that explains her mysterious illness. I didn't even know she was seeing someone."

Dom put down the wrench and sat down on a stool. "She's not," he revealed awkwardly. "It was an accident."

"Well how is the father reacting to this?"

Inhaling, Dom turned to face the other direction. "Pretty shook up. It wasn't anticipated."

"No shit," Brian remarked. "Did he at least foresee the beat down you gave him? Letty's family to you. He's probably terrified.

"Its kind hard to kick my own ass," Dom mumbled, slamming a tool onto the floor.

Brian flinched at the sound but he still didn't ignore Dom's revelation. "YOU knocked up Letty!? How the hell did that happen? WHEN did that happen?"

The muscular man groaned, wanting nothing more than to strangle Brian for this ongoing interrogation. Perhaps confiding in him wasn't the best idea. "We slept together a few times…"

"A few?" Brian raised a brow.

"Fine, we've been having sex pretty much every day for the last four months."

"So you've been seeing each other in secret this whole time?"

Dom shook his head and then lowered it in shame. "We're not together. Letty is…Letty. She's the glue that has kept my family intact after Dad's death. She's Mia's best friend and she's looked out for me for years."

"And now she's going to be the mother of your child…" Brian finished for him. The situation was a mess. He couldn't even imagine how Mia would react to the news. "Why would you risk years of friendship on a fling?"

"We didn't mean for it to keep happening. But once it did, it just felt natural to be with her. It wasn't awkward and there were no expectations."

"Friends with benefits. That only works for so long until one of you begins to feel…"

"I know," Dom hastily cut him off. "But I can't think about that right now. All that matters is this baby and making sure Letty has a healthy pregnancy." What he felt for Letty wasn't something that could be explored, especially now.

Brian nodded. "I agree, but one day you're going to have to face the truth. Letty isn't just your friend and the sooner you realize that, the easier it will be for you both…and the baby."

XX

Letty stared into the long mirror that rested against her bedroom wall. She was only twenty-four and nothing had tired her out the way this pregnancy had. Even when it wasn't confirmed, she still felt far worse than she had with a flu or a hangover. This tiny being inside her was already taking over her body.

In a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted tank top, she ran a hand over her stomach and looked at herself from the side. In a few months, she would start showing and the idea of maternity clothes absolutely terrified her. Leather jackets weren't exactly pregnancy attire.

She wished she could just call Mia and talk to her best friend about this. It was hard enough hiding the truth about her and Dom, but now Letty felt even more terrible for not telling her about the baby.

When Mia had discovered she was pregnant, Letty was the first person that found out. She had bought the test for her and then sat and waited for the results. Letty had taken Mia to the doctors and held her hand through the blood tests and ultrasounds. They had told Dom together, who didn't take the news lightly.

Sighing, Letty made a promise to herself that she would tell Mia by the end of the week.

XX

"Hey Mia," Sarah, a fellow student nurse greeted as she approached the nurses station. "Excited for your weekend off?"

"You have no idea!" She didn't look up from the chart she was reading, instead making a few quick notes. "I can't wait to spend some time with my baby. We might go to the aquarium. Do you have any plans?"

"I'll probably go out drinking with some girlfriends and hope I get lucky," Sarah giggled. She was the type of woman to move from relationship to relationship and was currently experiencing a dry spell. She was the same age as Mia but there was a world of a difference between the two. "Or I might test my luck and ask Grace O'Conner's son out. He looks like a fun time."

"Brian?" Mia whispered, her heart sinking. "You're interested in him?" Truthfully, that didn't surprise her. Aside from being gorgeous, he was kind to all those around him. Most of the nurses here had developed an infatuation with him. Him and Sarah were practically genetically made for each other. With his blue eyes and blonde hair and her auburn locks and green eyes, they both looked like models off a runway.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Do you think you could put in a good word for me? I know you two are friends…" She stopped after seeing the person in question exit from the elevator.

Brian walked straight to the station and smiled when he saw Mia. "Hi."

"Hi," she quietly replied. Their close encounter last night caused her cheeks to burn now that she faced him again.

Sarah ignored the intense looks between the two and intercepted. "We were just talking about you Brian."

His eyes never left Mia's. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, I was just about to ask Mia's opinion on where you and I could go on a date."

Brian then shook his head out of his trance when he heard what the nurse had said. He didn't even remember her name but it sounded like she was asking him out. "Excuse me?"

Sarah grinned. "How about that club off Main Street? I hear it brings in a good crowd."

"Uh…oh…um," Brian struggled, looking at Mia, who offered no help. "I actually have plans this weekend…with her." He pointed at the woman he almost kissed last night.

"Really?" Sarah furrowed a brow, not believing him. "Mia said she's just going to some lame aquarium with her kid."

The way Sarah was handling the rejection irritated Mia. It was almost as if she was talking down to her and her life as a single mother. She wanted to correct Brian and tell them both she had no intention of spending the weekend with him, but her desire to hear his response was greater.

"Well, I happen to like aquariums," Brian remarked. "And I especially like Mia and Aiden. I'm sure there will be nothing lame about it."

Brian winked and Mia couldn't stop the smile tugging on her lips. She grateful she wasn't facing Sarah.

XX

"So Leticia, the blood work and urine sample seem to confirm what you already know. Congratulations, you're pregnant." The OB/GYN addressed the couple, glancing over the results.

Letty inhaled deeply and Dom squeezed her hand reassuringly. It had seemed real yesterday, but now it was actually happening.

"You're about nine weeks along, meaning you're almost done your third trimester. Have you been experiencing any morning sickness?"

"She has," Dom confirmed. "But it doesn't always happen in the morning."

"Common misconception," the doctor chuckled. "Most women realize they're pregnant a lot sooner than you did, so I'm going to prescribe come prenatal vitamins and make an ultrasound appointment for next week just to make sure everything is okay."

Letty bit her lip, ashamed that she hadn't taken a test sooner. "I was on the pill and have missed my periods before. I just thought I had a flu."

"That's not unheard of. Don't worry about it; the most important thing is that you keep your stress levels to a minimum. You are in excellent health already and we have no reason to believe that your baby won't be too," She paused, smiling at the parents-to-be. "Listen to your body. If you crave something, don't hesitate to make your husband run out in the middle of the night to get it."

Dom and Letty looked at each other awkwardly over the mention of the word "husband" but as Letty was about to correct the doctor, Dom interrupted. "Thanks Doc, she's in good hands." He helped her off the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"That's great to hear. Leticia may be carrying the baby, but dads play vital roles in pregnancy too."

Dom nodded. "Yeah I've been a good punching bag for her in the last two days."

"Shut up!" Letty giggled, whacking him in the stomach.

"See?" Dom retaliated. The doctor watched the two exit the room and shook her head I amusement. They were all in for an adventure.

XX

"How are you feeling Mom?" Brian asked as he made his way into Grace's hospital room. She had been there for months and her condition had remained relatively stable but doctors were still hesitant to send her home.

The matriarch smiled. "I feel fantastic! Hopefully someone can get me released as soon as possible."

He sat on the foot of her bed and watched as she tried to eat the food that was given to her for lunch. "I'm glad you're doing better."

"It's because you're here," she said. "You're giving me a reason to fight."

Brian turned his gaze to the window, not knowing how to react. He made the best decision he could have for himself at the time, but he regretted leaving his mother behind. He wished she could be brave enough to leave his father, even now.

"I have to go back to New York."

Grace sighed sadly. "Well I knew you would leave eventually. I just hoped you'd have stayed longer."

He squeezed her hand. "Its just for a couple of days. I'm putting my apartment up for rent so I'll have some free money to get a place here."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yeah. Don't worry Mom, I promise I won't leave until you're better."

She smiled and the two sat in silence until a thought came to mind. "This doesn't have anything to do with Mia, does it?"

"What do you mean?" Brian countered, a shy smile appearing.

"I'm your mother Bri. I see the way you are when she's around or when you mention her name. Its like…everything about you becomes happier…you look content."

"She's a good person."

"I know," Grace nodded. "Despite what your father thinks, the Toretto's are a good family. They haven't had it easy, but they've made the best of their circumstances."

"I don't care about Dad," Brian sneered. "We both know what he did to you…what he did to us…it takes his right away to make judgments about anyone."

XX

"So _husband_," Letty laughed, sarcasm evident in her tone. "What does a girl gotta do around here to get some apple juice?"

"Apple juice?" Dom questioned. "I thought you hated apples."

"I do," Letty shrugged, leaning into Dom's embrace. "But I have no control over my body man. This kid, who is probably the size of a pea right now, is changing everything about me."

Dom looked down at her stomach and smiled. "My kid."

"Yes, _your_ kid," She rolled her eyes. "But I want you to know something, okay?"

"Hm?"

"For what its worth, I'm glad I'm going through this with you. If it had been any other guy, I'm sure I would be running for the hills. Thank you for keeping me calm."

He turned his head slightly so he could kiss her forehead. He yearned for the feel of her lips, but he knew it wasn't wise. Not when there was so much as stake. "I would do anything for you Letty. I would do anything for our baby."

In that moment, they both felt the air shift. Their lives would no longer revolve around them and their immature antics. They had a common goal and that was to keep their child safe and healthy.

XX

"You didn't have to be so rude to Sarah," Mia stated as she hastily threw down her lunch at the table Brian was currently occupying. "You two would be perfect for one another."

"Oh yeah?" Brian chuckled. "Based on what criteria?"

"She's gorgeous…your gorgeous."

"And what does that make you?" He opened her lunch bag and took out a container of strawberries. They had taken to meeting for lunch whenever he was at the hospital.

"Off limits," she deadpanned. "I'm off limits."

He held her eye contact for a moment before casting his glance back at the strawberries he had taken from her. "Fine."

Mia was almost disappointed at how quickly he had given up. "So, maybe you should call her."

"Maybe," Brian mused, knowing full well he never would. "Or maybe you could come to New York with me instead."

"Leave me alone," Mia shook her head, taking out two salad containers. She handed one to Brian.

"You make me lunch and then pretend to want nothing to do with me. What's your deal Mia?"

"I want us to be friends Brian."

He pulled out his cellphone to see if he had any missed calls. "We are friends."

Thinking back to the previous night, Mia was reminded that they had almost crossed a line. She almost kissed Brian O'Conner. She was so close to making a mistake with yet another one of her brother's friends. There was no way she could allow herself to repeat the past.

"So listen, I got this amazing deal on three tickets to New York for this weekend. I have to go back anyway to deal with some business, but I thought it would be fun if you and Aiden came with. I could show you around the city, we could even go to an aquarium." He finished the last part with a chuckle.

Mia impatiently strummed her fingers against the table, waiting for him to tell her he was playing a practical joke. How did he expect her just to pack up and go across the country on a moments notice? "You don't understand Brian."

"Understand what?"

"I'm twenty-four years old and a single mother of a seven-year old boy. I'm in school, so I have college tuition to pay for. I work long hours at the hospital and I don't get paid because its apart of my program. I run a diner that doesn't bring in a profit and I rely on my brother far more than I should. I can barely afford to let Aiden play baseball and you think I can just go to New York City without a second thought."

She paused, seeing his unfazed expression. "We can't be friends if you don't ever take my situation into consideration."

That comment angered him. "I always take you into account Mia! I know you're a mother and I adore Aiden. I respect you for going back to school when it would have just been easier to quit. I'm just as sorry as you are that the diner isn't doing well, and I damn well didn't expect you to pay a cent for this trip!"

"Well I'm not a charity case Brian." She lowered her voice and leaned in. "And I'm most certainly not a whore! I don't need you taking me out and spending time with my son just so you can get into my pants."

"Is that what you think Mia?" He wanted nothing more than for their argument to end, but he needed to speak his mind. "I'm going to fucking kill Vince."

"What does Vince have to with anything?"

"He forced you to have sex with him and you've been emotionally screwed up ever since."

"How dare you!?"

Brian stood to prevent her from leaving but when she walked around him, he followed her to the hallway. "I think you need to hear it Mia. Not every guy who is interested in you has a hidden agenda. I tried to do something nice for you; I was turned down and that's fine. But what about other people Mia? Are you going to shut them out forever? Will you ever let yourself fall in love or accept love? Will you at least let a man care about you!?"

"I have Aiden, Dom, and Letty and at the end of the day, that's enough. I know they would never betray me!"

He stared at her, as she stumbled back further until her back collided with the wall. She didn't look away and her breath was heavy, displaying her anger and frustration. Even still, Brian didn't miss the sadness in her eyes.

"But don't you want someone to buy you flowers and hold your hand?" He stepped closer, gently lifting her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers. "Or how about mind-numbing kisses and endless hours of love-making? You may not want an extravagant ring, but don't you want to walk to someone at the end of an aisle who will promise you forever? Someone who will help you raise your son and love him as his own?"

"That sounds like a happily ever after in a shitty, fictional fairytale." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"No," he managed to let out a chuckle. "You deserve all of it and its attainable if you would just open your heart."

"To you?" She raised her eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were such a romantic."

"Maybe it won't be me," Brian said, earning a widened glare from Mia. "You're too good for me. It could come at the most unexpected time, but I just don't want you to miss the opportunity."

She eyed their hands and then looked at his face. "Its easy to talk about love when you haven't come from the broken family Brian. My father adored my mother and she just left him. He spent the rest of his life hurting from that loss and betrayal. Dom and I never grew up in a happy home."

"And you think I did?" Brian let go of her hand and turned around. "Not everything is as perfect as it looks on the outside Mia. My parents are miserable…I was miserable. But when I was eighteen, I promised myself that I would never let their problems affect me again."

He was shaking now and when Mia saw him wipe away a lone tear, she went to stand in front of him. Knowing no words could ease the pain they were both feeling, she put her arms around his waist and hugged him right.

He instantly welcomed the embrace, allowing her to rest her head against his chest. "God Mia, it was only a trip to New York."

"I know," she said, holding his closer. She wanted nothing more than to accept his offer, but she just couldn't allow herself to be so reckless again. His comments on her life were completely true; she did shut out love and the prospect of happiness.

They were so wrapped up in each other and their thoughts that they didn't notice footsteps approaching them.

"What's going on?" Dom's booming voice questioned upon seeing his baby sister and Brian in an embrace.

Like an electric shock, they parted. "Dom, what are you doing here?" Mia then noticed Letty. "Is everything okay?"

It was now Dom and Letty's turn to answer questions. They nervously glanced at each other until Letty nodded. "I wanted some apple juice."

"Apple juice? You came all the way to the hospital for apple juice Letty? Is this about you not feeling well? Did something happen at work? Are you alright?"

"Mia relax," Brian softly spoke, tugging her back. He knew what was about to be revealed and almost wished he wasn't there for the fallout.

Mia turned from Brian to her brother and best friend, confused that they all seemed to know something she didn't. It was then that she saw Letty holding a pamphlet. She grabbed it and her eyes widened when she read the contents.

_Pregnancy: From Conception to Birth_

"You're pregnant!?" Mia questioned, bewildered by the news. "You haven't been with Dylan in over a year!" 

"I…uh…." Letty was at a loss, especially having to explain in a hospital hallway in front of Dom and Brian.

"And why did you tell Dom before me?"

When Dom bit his lip and Letty stared at the ground, the puzzle pieces in Mia's mind all came together. "Seriously?"

"We didn't mean…"

Mia cut off Dom's explanation. "You never meant to sleep with my best friend? Letty isn't one of those girls you can just fuck and forget! I asked you years ago not to try anything with her. I cannot believe you would compromise our friendship like that!"

"Mia," Letty stopped her. "Its not his fault. I was there too."

"Yeah, you were Letty. Don't think that I haven't just realized that you've been hiding this from me for months."

"This isn't the place Mia," Brian warned. "Talk about this when you get home."

"There's nothing to talk about," Mia icily stated. "My best friend and my commitment-phobic brother are going to have a baby after a one night stand. Congratulations Dom, it looks like we both disappointed Dad. Now he has a daughter and a son who became parents out of wedlock." With that, she ran past them and tried to find the nearest escape.

"Follow her," Dom asked Brian, his face silently pleading with the blonde. "She won't want to see anyone else right now."

Brian only nodded before jogging off to find her.

"Well that went well," Letty sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"She's not mad at you Let. She's in shock but her anger is definitely directed at me." Dom clenched his fists, resisting the urge to punch a wall. He was expecting a child, but his relationship with his sister was currently tarnished.

"Can you take me home?" Letty requested. "I just want to lay in bed and figure out what we're going to do."

"Is that an invitation?" Dom smirked, hoping to lighten the mood for Letty's sake.

"Look what you've done," she said, pointing to her stomach. "I think our time in bed together has caused enough trouble."

"Yes," he said, nudging her gently. "But you're already pregnant, so I can't knock you up again."

"Shut up Toretto. You days with me are over."

XX

"You run like a tiger," Brian huffed as he opened the door to the hospital roof, clearly out of breath.

"I want to be alone," Mia replied, staring out at the LA sky. She came there often, especially when the world became too much for her to handle.

"You're upset," he stated the obvious, earning him an eye roll.

"Wouldn't you be?"

"No," he said, going toward her. He hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulders and squeezed gently. "I would be happy that two of the most important people in my life were going to bring new life into this world."

"Its not about the baby," Mia insisted, leaning into his touch as he massaged her neck. "I'm just afraid that nothing will ever be the same again."

"Change is good. What if this pregnancy shows them that they're meant to be more than friends?"

"But what if it rips apart our family…just like it did when I got pregnant with Aiden."

Brian sighed, turning Mia around in his arms and hugging her once more. He kissed the top of her head and held her close as she cried into his chest.

"Its okay to be scared," he whispered. "But sometimes, the greatest payoffs involve the biggest risks."

She lifted her head up and looked him in the eyes. "Am I too late to accept the offer to New York?"

He smiled. "Your timing is perfect."

_**So Letty is officially pregnant and Dom may have actual feelings for her. How will their current situation affect their future?**_

**_I know Mia may come off as rude and annoying in this chapter, but this just goes to show how messed up and guarded she really is. She's never been in love but she has a son. She's dealing with abandonment issues and never really had to confront her fears until now. This story is basically about four people who find themselves unable to control their feelings. I hope I'm getting that across._**

Well thanks for reading! I may also post a Dotty one-shot later today.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the wait!**

"Thanks for coming," Dom greeted as he opened the door. Letty stepped inside and cautiously looked around. "They're gone," he added upon seeing her reaction.

It had been days since the confrontation and neither had interacted much with Mia since. Dom tried to be at the garage as much as possible and Letty didn't come around. She missed her best friend and Aiden, but she didn't want to push Mia either. Letty would wait until she had enough time to digest the news.

"Where are they?" she asked, taking a seat on the sofa. Exhaustion was taking over her petite frame.

"They're with Brian," he answered, sitting on the seat across from her. "In New York City."

"NYC!? She wouldn't even admit to being attracted to the guy and now they're vacationing together?"

Dom sighed. "Brian was going back anyway and wanted to take her and Aiden for the weekend. I don't think there is anything going on between them."

"Man, are you blind? He's totally into her and I'm pretty sure she returns those feelings."

He shook his head and made a grand gesture to cover his ears. "Brian promised me there wouldn't be anything dishonorable happening. I need to believe him. Besides, Aiden is there."

Letty shrugged. "Well, Mia could do a lot worse than Brian O'Conner. Hell, she was in love with him when we were thirteen."

"Excuse me!?"

"You didn't know?" Letty laughed at his expression. "We would spend hours in her room just staring out the window at you guys playing basketball. It was quite a sight."

"I thought Brian wasn't your type?" He tried to hide the jealousy from this voice but when Letty continued to laugh at his expense, he knew he failed.

"I may have grown out of that phase but Brian O'Conner was every teenage girl's dream."

Dom rolled his eyes and reached for the television remote.

"You know," Letty started when she was received by his silence. Annoying Dom was a favourite pastime of hers. "You got pretty lucky that Aiden was a boy."

"How's that?" he mused, only partly paying attention while his eyes focused on a NASCAR race on the screen.

"No pink frilly dresses, Barbie's, or tea parties."

"That's no more exhausting than sword fights, baseball games, and jumping out of trees." Having raised Aiden, Dom was aware of how much work truly went into parenting. He didn't think there would be much of a distinction between a boy and a girl.

"Yeah but boys don't obsess over crushes and love letters."

"What are you trying to say Let?"

She bit her lip to stop from smiling. "There's a 50% chance that the baby I'm carrying is going to be a girl. Are you prepared to deal with boys like Brian O'Conner trying to steal her heart?"

He quickly turned off the TV and turned to Letty. "If our munchkin is a girl, she's going to an all girls school! And, if I still see blonde haired and blue eyed boys hanging around, I'll make good use of the shotgun in the garage."

XX

Brian turned his head from side to side, unable to get into a comfortable position. He didn't understand how Roman had crashed on his couch so many times; it was awful.

"Ugh," he groaned before finally kicking off the blankets and getting up. The sun was shining through the windows and according to his watch it was already seven in the morning.

His feet hit the cold floor as he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He figured he could then get breakfast before Mia and Aiden woke up.

They had arrived late last night and Brian had insisted they take his bedroom while he would sleep on the couch. He didn't regret his decision, but the kinks in his neck were quite bothersome.

After rinsing his mouth, he went to the kitchen and started the coffeemaker. There was nothing else in his fridge and he was grateful there was a bakery and a grocery store across the street from his apartment.

He sat on a chair and lowered his head to the table, hoping he could get a few quick minutes of sleep.

"Are you okay?" Mia startled him. She immediately offered an apologetic smile but made no movement to come any closer.

Brian nodded and then smiled back when he took in her appearance. "Nice shorts," he commented, eyeing up her legs. He hadn't meant to say his thought aloud and silently cursed himself, knowing Mia was either going to yell at him or run. Neither was a good option.

Instead, she let out a laugh. "Nice shirt…"

He looked down at his bare chest and then back up at her, a sheepish grin forming. "I'm not wearing one."

"I know," she shrugged, walking behind him to get a glass of water. "And I'm thoroughly enjoying the view."

Brian remembered her last sentence as one of the first things he had said to her when he got back to LA. She confused him like no one else. After their conversation last week, she had been considerably more open around him.

"Mia Toretto!" he feigned shock, getting up to stand with her. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Never," she laughed, taking a sip of water and never breaking eye contact with him. "So what's the plan for today O'Conner?"

"Well first," he said, inching towards her. "Breakfast?"

She pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "I'm starving."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," she answered. "But I'm judging from the way you're moving your neck that your couch isn't as comfortable?"

Brian chuckled. "I'll be fine after a shower."

"Or a massage?"

He raised a brow and smirked. "Are you offering?"

"Well, I am almost a nurse," Mia said nonchalantly. "I'm more than capable of working out a few kinks."

"I'm going to ignore how…suggestive…that sounds and accept your offer." He sat back down on the chair he previously occupied and pointed at her. "Show me your skills Nurse."

"Yes sir!" she jokingly saluted, hesitantly putting her hands against his bare skin. She felt him shiver under her touch but continued to work on the muscles just below his neck. "You're really tense."

"Old age," he laughed as a response. "And I haven't worked out in months."

"You could have fooled me," she commented, running her hands over his defined biceps. She returned to his shoulders and squeezed gently.

He moaned at the feeling, his body savoring her touch. "I take back my doubts Mia. I may have to keep you around as my personal masseuse."

Although he couldn't see her, she was blushing.

The rest of their time was spent in silence until Brian realized he had no control over the desire taking over his body. He reached back to stop her hands from trailing further down his back. "Thanks Mia, I'm all good now." Then without turning to face her, he just walked out of the kitchen and straight to the bathroom. He was in need of a seriously cold shower.

XX

"So why did you call me here?" Letty was laying on the sofa with a hand over her stomach. The nausea had yet to subside.

Dom threw a stacked folder onto the coffee table and sighed. "Paperwork for the diner. Mia usually handles it but this needs to get done before she gets back."

Letty sat up, her concern and curiosity peaked. "This sounds serious."

"Unless you catch a mistake or can conjure up some magic, we're going to have to shut the place down."

"Oh no," Letty whispered. "Mia's going to be devastated."

"I want to keep it open but its just costing us too much," he flipped through some forms. "I'm letting them down."

"Who?"

"Mia, Aiden…my dad."

At the mention of Anthony, Letty felt tears escape her eyes. Sliding over to Dom, she held his face with both of her hands and forced his eyes to meet hers. "Your dad would be so proud of you Dominic Toretto. Instead of reveling in your racing career, you put your family first. You took care of Mia and helped her turn her life around when it seemed impossible. You're an amazing uncle and role model to Aiden. You even changed my life by giving me a job when my parents were deadest on taking me with them to the Dominican. I have my independence because of you."

"I had ulterior motives," he whispered, allowing himself to be open and vulnerable with the woman in front of him. "I would have missed you."

She smiled.

"What?" The look on her face was unreadable and that sparked his curiosity.

She lifted herself so that she was standing on her knees and moved her hands from Dom's face to around his neck. "I think I've inflated your ego enough for one day, but there's something else I really want to tell you."

He looked from her stomach to her face and nodded, signaling she should continue.

"I know you're upset about having to close the diner, but that's nothing compared to what you do for everyone. Your selflessness shows me how lucky I am to have you as a friend." She felt his hands grazed her stomach and she laughed. "We're in a really weird situation but everything always just feels so natural with you." Lowering her gaze to his touch, she reflected on how he affected her. "Our baby is going to have an amazing daddy."

"Do you really expect me to keep my hands to myself with you saying all these nice things? I don't have that kind of control Letty." He was staring at her hungrily.

"Well then kiss me," she replied with a giggle as Dom pulled her on top of him.

XX

"My favourite white boy! It's about time you brought your ass home!"

Brian chuckled at Roman's remark but was quick to put his hands over Aiden's ears as they entered the property set to become their future club. "What's up Rome?"

Roman looked at Brian to the young boy and beautiful woman standing beside him. "Is there something you want to tell me? Did you buy an instant family on eBay or some shiiieee-"

"I'm Mia," the woman quickly explained to stop another curse word from exiting his mouth. "And this is my son Aiden. We're friends of Brian."

He nodded, seemingly digesting the information. "Well it looks like Brian was doing something right back in LA."

Mia wasn't sure whether to be offended or laugh but sensed that the man Brian called a friend was carefree in his humor.

"I've known her way longer than I've known you Roman," Brian warned, after sending Aiden off to the dance floor to explore.

Before he would respond, Tej came running to the crowd. "Can someone explain to me why there's a midget under the disco ball?"

Brian rolled his eyes but laughed nonetheless. His friends were something else entirely. "He's a child. And this is his mom, Mia" he said, gesturing between them. "Mia, meet Tej and Rome. My business partners and friends by unfortunate circumstances."

"Waddup Mama Mia. It's a pleasure to meet you," Tej offered a hand. "I heard you've been making Brian's time in LA a bit more bearable."

"How do you know about her?" Roman questioned. "What the hell man! Brian's been holding out on me? I'm supposed to be his boy!"

Mia laughed. "There's nothing going on between me and Brian, so don't feel ripped off."

"Yeah okay," Tej commented casually while eyeing the two. "Brian doesn't bring beautiful ladies around us unless he's serious."

"Would everyone stop talking about BRIAN like I'm not standing right here?" the blonde finally spoke. "You guys are…"

"Yeah yeah whatever," Roman interrupted. "What really matters is that you're back! We gotta get this place moving! And you're just in time for the game tonight!"

"Game?" Mia pondered.

"The Yankees playoff!"

"Oh right. I forgot about that."

Tej's eyes widened. "We've had these tickets for months! How could you forget?"

Brian shrugged. "You guys have a good time. I can't go."

"Brian," Mia argued. "You have to go."

He shook his head. "No way. We came here with the intention of showing you New York and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Oh please, you've done enough. Go have fun."

Looking at his friends and then to her, he raised a brow. "I'd have more fun with you and Aiden."

Mia giggled as she too examined his friends. They were unique but she had no doubt that they were good people.

"Hey Mom!" Aiden said as he approached Mia and Brian. "I want to be a DJ when I grow up!"

"Oh really?" Mia smiled as Brian shook his head with laughter. "And how did you come to such a conclusion?"

"I want to live in New York and work here! Its so cool!"

Brian ruffled the boy's air affectionately. "You can come visit whenever you want, but you're never working here buddy."

Aiden's eyes widened. "Why not!?"

"Because," Brian started as pulled a chair from behind him and sat down. He leaned forward so he was eye level with Aiden. "You're a smart kid. I only opened a club because I couldn't get into college. Unlike you and your mom, I didn't read lots of books. But since you do, I think you could be a doctor or a lawyer."

The boy considered his explanation until another thought came to mind. "Can I be a baseball player!?"

"Of course!" Brian chuckled.

Mia watched the two of them and she was more convinced than ever of Brian's kind and generous nature. He not only was a good friend to her, but he was genuinely interested in Aiden's life and wellbeing. Why was she so afraid of letting herself feel something for him?

"Hey Brian, can we talk to you for a minute?" Tej and Roman gestured towards the bar.

"What's up?" he asked, leaving Mia and Aiden to converse amongst themselves.

"The kid likes baseball?" Tej asked.

"He loves baseball," Brian corrected, a sense of pride overcoming him. "You should see him play, he's amazing!"

Roman raised his brow and smirked. "You're sounding like a fath…"

"Stop," Brian hissed, looking back and Mia and Aiden. "Please don't embarrass me in front of her."

Tej and Rome laughed. Their friend had it bad.

"Why don't we take the kid to the Yankees game and give you some alone time with Mia?"

"Yankees!?" Aiden's voice perked up. "You're going to the playoffs?"

"You know it," Roman answered, giving him a fist bump. "Do you want to go little man?"

"Can I!?" He looked at his mother and Brian. "Please please please!"

"Sweetie…I don't think so."

"Mia," Tej spoke up. "Brian's not going to leave your side so we'd hate to have a ticket go to waste."

"That's very nice but…"

"We also know you probably don't trust two knuckleheads with your child, which is why I'm telling you my girlfriend is coming along. She's a teacher; she loves children. Aiden will be in good hands."

Sukhi's going?" Brian confirmed. He then turned to Mia. "They're crazy, but if Sukhi is there, we can trust them."

"Please mom!"

Mia looked at all the boys and dropped her shoulders in defeat. "Okay baby, you can go."

XX

"Did that feel different for you too?" Letty panted as her and Dom sat up on the floor with their backs against the foot of the sofa. She looked at him expectantly.

"Pregnancy is making you wild," he laughed, nuzzling her neck to get her ready for round two. "Especially since you swore to never sleep with me ever again."

"We weren't technically sleeping," Letty sarcastically replied. "And my vow stands. As soon as this baby pops out, you and I are going back to being strictly friends."

"Uh huh," Dom chuckled. "You're lucky I won't hold you to that." Suddenly, he stood up and offered to help her too. "Come on, I have to show you something."

Her brows furrowed but she grabbed Dom's shirt and quickly threw it over her head. "This better be good Toretto. I was about to let you get the whipped crème."

Dom groaned, but still guided her up the stairs. "Why must you play games Leticia?"

"Because you love it, Dominic."

He let out a breath. Letty just had no idea just how much.

XX

"You look distracted," Brian noted as they walked through the streets of the city. "Are you worried about Aiden?"

Mia looked up and shook her head. "No I trust you and if you think Roman and Tej will take care of him, I believe you."

"I like that you have faith in me," Brian smiled. "But I think I know you well enough to know something is wrong. If not Aiden, then what's bothering you?"

"I hate the way I reacted to the baby. It wasn't fair to Dom or Letty."

Brian sighed. "You can still make it right."

"I acted like a brat. They have both done so much for me and I couldn't even be happy for them. I mean…this is a baby we're talking about! It's going to change their lives and I should have been supportive."

He knew she had regrets but he didn't want her time in New York to be spoiled by the stress back home. This was their time to escape worries and responsibility. Without a second thought, he grabbed her hand and led her to the edge of the road. "Lets go on a carriage ride through Central Park."

"What?"

"Driver!" Brian whistled to catch the attention of an empty carriage. Once he stopped, Brian helped Mia on.

"You're crazy," Mia laughed after they were settled in. "You really don't have to do all of this for me."

"I want to," he said earnestly, holding her gaze.

"How long have you known Roman and Tej?" she asked, hoping to change the tone of the conversation.

Brian smirked at her tactic. "I met them both when I moved to Miami. We all worked at a garage together for a couple of years until we come here."

"You work on cars too? What made you move?"

He closed his eyes and let out a breath. His expression was one of obvious distain. "Monica."

"Monica?" Mia repeated questioningly. "Who's that?"

"My ex."

"Oh"

"Yeah…oh," he let out a bitter laugh. "We were together for six years before I proposed and still don't know how it all went to hell."

Mia bit her lip and then gave Brian's hand a supportive squeeze. "You mentioned she didn't want kids and that you were unhappy."

"I wanted to start a marriage but she just wanted a wedding and all the material things that came with it."

"Yikes," Mia remarked.

"Anyway, when I brought up the idea of children and moving into a bigger home she completely freaked. She complained about the possibility of stretch marks and said she didn't want to waste money on a property when it could be used towards the wedding."

"I can't imagine you being with someone like that. You're too grounded."

"Neither can I," Brian admitted. "It feels like that was someone else's life…someone else's decisions."

"I know all about that," Mia sighed, continuing to explain when she saw Brian's questioning gaze. "People say love is like a drug. It will make you do crazy things you normally wouldn't. I mean…I was addicted to cocaine and when I look back on all the things I did and said…it doesn't feel like me."

Brian squinted as he thought over her analogy. "I don't think I agree. Love can be really great too."

"I guess," Mia shrugged.

"Were you…were you in love with Vince?"

His question caught her off guard. Letty had asked her once before and even after much consideration of the situation, her answer remained the same.

"No," she replied. "Vince was always Dom's immature sidekick. Even when we were both going through really hard times and I thought he genuinely cared about me, I really only craved the company. I felt so lost and alone when my dad died and Vince was there. I just didn't realize he had ulterior motives."

"He used you to get back at Dom," Brian said through gritted teeth.

"I know," she frowned. "But I was stupid enough to let him. He had been around for so long that I trusted him; I didn't think he would try to hurt me. And then when he…when he made me have sex with him and I got pregnant…I felt even more alone."

"How?"

"Because I knew the minute I read positive on that test, my chances of getting married and having a fairytale romance were over. I became a mother at seventeen, and while I never ever could regret Aiden, sometimes I get a little sad over the things I missed out on.

"I begged Vince to get clean for the sake of our child but he wouldn't. I had to take him to court to fight for full custody because I refused to let Aiden grow up around drugs and dealers."

"You did the right thing," Brian comforted.

She nodded. "But I wish more than anything that Aiden had a father. If he had gone to rehab and stayed clean, I would have married Vince and had more kids. I grew up in a single parent home and I never wanted that for my own children. You have no idea how much it hurts to know that you have a living parent out there who wants nothing to do with you."

"Don't say that," he wrapped his arms around her and brought her head to his shoulders. "You made every right decision for Aiden. He has one strong, capable, and beautiful parent to look up to and speaking from experience, that's all a kid really needs."

She quickly wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. He felt her shiver at the touch. "You can talk to me about anything."

"Ditto," she managed to smile. "Monica is a real idiot you know."

Brian chuckled. "How do you figure?"

"She let you go," Mia said. "My twelve-year-old self is quite disgusted by that actually."

"What?" he exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on," Mia playfully rolled her eyes. "I use to think you were the greatest guy ever."

"Is that why you would write my name all over your notebooks and secretly refer to yourself as Mia O'Conner?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to form an 'O'. "You use to read my diary!?" She punched one of his arms. "Wow, and here I thought I could trust you."

Brian laughed. "Letty told me to. You had a crush, its no big deal."

"That little traitor!" she muttered. "Well, now I'm embarrassed."

"Don't be," he grinned seeing her cheeks redden. "I was flattered. It really boosted my ego."

"Shut up," Mia gleamed. "You were probably mortified that Dom's annoying kid sister dreamed of marrying you."

"At the time…maybe a little," he winked. "But now I think it's cute. Thanks for reminding me about it, I'll have a story to tell Aiden!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I would," he confirmed, earning him another punch in the arm. "I think I'll enlighten everyone to how much you loved my blue eyes and…"

"I hate you," she seethed as he tried to recite something she had written over a decade ago.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't hold you accountable to how you felt twelve years ago."

"You don't?"

The blonde shook his head. "What I really want to know is how you feel right here, right now."

"Why?"

"Because I have a serious crush on you and you're all I've thought about since going back to LA."

Although her heart was beating out of her chest, Mia managed a small smile and simply replied, "I know."

XX

"I've been to your house a million times but I don't think I've ever been in this room," Letty commented as she walked around the empty space. "I love the light and all the windows."

"It hasn't been used for years."

She turned to Dom, her eyes staring at him questioningly.

He sighed and stepped further in, almost as if he was afraid to. "My mother use to paint in here. When she wasn't at the diner, she'd spend the rest of her time working on a canvass. She was an amazing artist.

"My dad and I were never allowed to interrupt or watch. Mia was just a baby but she wasn't allowed in here either. Mom would always say she needed her 'quiet time' but that didn't leave much room for parenting.

"When she left, dad locked up the room and I remember always being curious about it. I thought that if I could just be closer to her paintings, the woman who gave birth to me would be less of a mystery."

Sitting by the ledge, he looked out the window to Brian's parent's house across the street. "After I saw how hurt he was, I stopped asking questions. It wasn't until he died that I finally came in here and…"

Letty placed her hands on his knee and squeezed in reassurance.

"By looking at her art, I realized how unhappy and unfaithful she had been. I threw all her shit out as fast as I could. It wasn't until nine years after she left that I saw the room, but it still hurt that she didn't love my father the way he loved her. I don't even think she loved me and Mia, but I still spent my entire childhood wishing she would have come back."

"Do you miss her?"

Dom pondered Letty's question for a moment before shaking his head. "I hate her. I don't understand how she could have left her children and I'm angry that my life has been haunted by her disappearance." He let out a loud groan and clenched his eyes shut.

"When we were kids, I use to envy the relationship you and Mia had with your father," Letty admitted. "I remember he would help Mia with homework and he would teach you about cars and I was sad that I couldn't relate to anything my parents did with me. After coming here for dinner almost every night, I started to forget that you didn't have a mother just like everyone else. I wasn't even part of your family but Anthony made me feel so welcome here. I know Brian and Leon felt the same way. "

She saw Dom grin at the reminder of his dad's kind nature. "I hope you know what having one amazing parent is better than two that don't give a damn. I mean, look at Mia. Aiden is much better off without Vince, right?"

Dom nodded, so she continued. "You know, we just had two heartfelt conversations today and I'm starting to get a little weirded out dude."

He chuckled, putting his arms around her shoulder and pulling her closer. "I didn't mean to have a pity party. I swear I just wanted to show you the room."

"But why?"

"Well," he said smiling as she drew invisible circles on his chest. "I've done a lot a of thinking this past week about the baby and after Aiden was born, I promised to bury a lot of the pain I carried. I refuse to let the past affect the future. The guest room is practically yours anyway but our munchkin is going to need a room and making this into nursery would erase a lot of demons around here."

"Dom," Letty argued. "I'll be fine in my apartment. I don't want to crowd you and Mia."

"You wouldn't be crowding us Let," he insisted. "You're carrying a Toretto and that entitles you to some benefits."

"Oh really?" she snorted. "And what exactly are the advantages?"

"Besides the 100% guarantee that the baby will be beautiful and smart, I'll be here whenever you need me. Home cooked meals with family, one stable home for our child, and Aiden would be around his little cousin all the time. And, think about all the rent you'd be saving by living here."

She bit her lip. "Babies are expensive…"

"Exactly! We'd have more money to spend on clothes, diapers, furniture, and toys."

"True," she agreed. "It would also be helpful to have Mia around to guide me through stuff. That is if she ever forgives me."

"Give her time," Dom said. "She's still mad at me too but she'll come around."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Dom tried to clarify.

"Okay, I'll move in!"

XX

"Thanks for today," said Mia as they entered the club. Brian had needed to come back to check on something.

"I should be thanking you," Brian replied. "I haven't had a night out in a while."

After the carriage ride, they had gone shopping, ate dinner, and then watched a Broadway musical. They left the statue of liberty and a few other attractions for tomorrow so Aiden could join them.

As he quickly glanced over some papers at the bar, she walked to the middle of the dance floor and took in her surroundings. "This place is incredible."

"Rome and Tej did most of the work," Brian said as he joined her. "I just hope that once its open, we bring in a crowd."

"You will," Mia accepted the beer he offered her.

"We're going to put some seats over there," he pointed to the left. "And then the DJ booth and stage will be on the other side. What colour scheme do you like? Red and black or blue and silver?"

"Hmm," she thought aloud. "Blue and silver."

"Me too," he smiled.

The stood in silence and observed the space. "So this is your dream Brian O'Conner?"

"One of many," he shrugged.

"What else do you dream about?"

"Besides you?" he joked. "I've started to think about opening a club in LA too. Moving back home."

"Really?" she couldn't contain her excitement.

"Yeah," he stared at her. "I realized that finding a jewel in an area of destruction is better than staying with a rock in a land of mediocrity."

"You're a charmer," Mia deadpanned. "But your lines won't work on me."

"Ah man, that was my best one yet," he chuckled before taking a sip of his drink.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked on impulse. When she saw his surprise, she tried to refute her statement. "I mean we don't…"

"I'd love to," he smiled, placing both their beers on a table. He then turned on a radio to the first song he could find.

The sound of Norah Jones's 'Come Away With Me' filled the club.

"I should warn you that I'm a pretty bad dancer."

Mia giggled. "Well I'm not holding you to any standards."

"Okay," Brian relaxed, putting on hand on her hip and taking the other in his own.

She reached her arm around his neck and they swayed so closely that he could feel her breath on his chest.

When he accidently stepped on one of her toes, they both erupted in laughter.

"I told you I'm horrible."

She tried to hide her smile. "Practice makes perfect."

"Hey, you never did answer my question."

Raising her head to look into his eyes, she furrowed her brow. "What question?"

"I fessed up to crushing pretty hard on you and I wanted to know whether you felt the same."

Taking a deep breath, she never broke eye contact. "Yes."

"Yeah? Seriously?" His goofy grin was the most adorable thing she had ever seen.

Instead of responding verbally, she raised herself up on her toes and pulled his face closer to her own. He reacted to her by wrapping his arms around her waist and slightly lifting her up.

"You're not going to yell or send me away this time?" he teasingly whispered.

"No."

"Good." Just as he was about to place his lips on hers, he saw her head bop down and his nose collided with her forehead, causing him to wince in pain. The debacle was then followed by a quiet sneeze.

"Damn it!" Mia huffed, as Brian began to laugh.

"Bless you."

She tried to turn away but his arms didn't let her. "I'm going to die of embarrassment before this night is over."

"No, I am not letting you die before I get my kiss. Practice makes perfect remember?" He slouched down so they were at the same height. He put his hand under her chin and raised her gaze. "So…take three?"

"Take three," she nodded, grateful that he didn't try to embarrass her more than she already was.

"Take three…" Brian whispered one last time before tucking her hair behind her ear and attaching her lips with his own.


End file.
